Second Chances
by Ryuuko1
Summary: sighs i had to write a ressurection fic. Kyuuzou is given another chance to accomplish what he desired in life yet failed to do. PLEASE REVIEW AND SUPPORT MY WRITING EFFORTS. Finished
1. Chapter 1

Kyuuzou drifted about in a haze, bloody hands caressing him, provoking him, soothing him, terrifying him. When he finally managed to be in command of his senses, he snarled and swatted the sensation away, ignoring the blood all over his body, and found the swords that never left his side in life in his hands still, even in death. After a few minutes of concentrated attacking of that which tried to bind his senses and body, he got it to back off, leaving him in a pool of silence and waiting.

'So this is Death, huh?' he thought, looking around. It wasn't so different from what his life had been. Just a lot of darkness, blood, anger, sadness and loneliness drifting about him. He had expected more. He touched his chest, which was aching, and came away with his blood thick on his hands. He looked down and saw the wounds that katsushiro had caused. His left hand curled into a fist, and the blood that had been in it came squishing out the sides.

'That _brat_' he hissed to the darkness. He hadn't felt this strong a bloodlust in a very long time,and frankly, would have enjoyed the sensation had he been alive to follow through on it. Had he been alive, he knew exactly what he'd do to Katsushiro. He'd strangle him within an inch of his life after cutting off both his hands. He'd let him recover enough to attempt to feebly fight back, and then slowly dismember him, starting with his ankles, then calves, then thighs, leaving on his torso and arms. He'd then slice off his forearms, then upperarms, leaving him with only a head and a torso, quickly fading from bloodloss. He'd then sit there and watch him as he slowly bled to death. He'd probably tear out his vocal chords just to make sure he didn't have to listen to him whine and whimper. And when the last bit of life within him was flickering out, he'd find a gun and blow Katsushiro's brains out.

That would make him feel much, much better.

The image, however, only made the bloodlust worse. Trying to find something to think about besides how much he desperately needed to kill Katsushiro, his mind turned elsewhere.

And settled directly on Kanbei.

The emotions in Kyuuzou that his image provoked were radically different, but built up another kind of lust within him. He twitched and slashed out instinctively, and he heard with satisfaction the dying cry of something.

Yes, that would do quite nicely. If this was Death, he was certain there were many desperate, angry, dreary souls waiting around, tormented by their guilt. They had nowhere else to go, and he had all the time in eternity. It would help appease his bloodlust to kill...a few...maybe.

He slashed his way out of the little bubble he was trapped in, and when he finally came up out of the blood he left in his wake, he looked around, and was mildly surprised. He was floating in a black emptiness, but all around him were bubbles, some large, some small. He looked inside a few, and saw both private and collective torment.

'It appears it depends on your beliefs, as to what you experience.'

Some bubbles were dark, some light, some clear. In each one were souls experiencing what they considered to be the afterlife.

'I guess I'm too stubborn to stay where I was supposed to be.'

As he walked on nothing, a tendril of darkness snaked around his left leg, and he quickly cut it, stepping back. all around him the darkness seemed to focus on him, and he fell into a guard stance. Fine. If he couldn't kill people, he'd fight against a darkness that seemed intent on smothering him.

Since he was dead, he couldn't get tired, but neither could that which wanted him silenced. He wasn't sure how long he fought; it could have been an eternity, it could have been a second. Either way, his determination to remain active and awake didn't falter. He wouldn't bow under pressure.

suddenly, rust-red runes and patterns began to flow across his body, starting from his feet and hands. He was startled, but the only thing that showed it was his eyes. The pain that hit him as the writing dug into the fabric of his being made him dizzy and falter. The darkness caught him and chained him to the ground, but he stubbornly held onto his swords. He let out a scream of rage and pain when the writing worked its way onto his torso, and his mind rebelled. His body acted instinctively, and he thrashed against the bonds that held him, and he cut the ties with his swords, and stood on shaky feet even as the writing worked its way to his heart and head.

'WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!' he yelled into the abyss, and only felt cool,detached amusement meet his demand. He writhed in pain, agony deepening on agony, building into a wave that broke on him as the writing penetrated his heart and mind.

_Since you desire to live strongly and feel strongly enough to break the bonds of your prison, I will give you what you desire. But you are not free, Kyuuzou. Your body is mine, your mind is mine, and your soul is mine._

As if to emphasize the point, a spear of white-hot pain ran through his body, making him shudder.

_I will allow you to find the two you desire, but in allowing you to do so, you will do my bidding._

'I do not wish to serve anyone ever again!' Kyuuzou snarled.

_Too bad._

Kyuuzou whimpered as the world spiraled around him and into him, throwing off his sense of coordination and time, and left him feeling drained and, for the first time in his life, helpless even as he held his swords.

Outside of Kanna Village there is a hill with memorials to those who fell in the battle against the Nobuseri. The most prominent ones, however, are situated overlooking a cliff. On top of each mound were swords, marking that those who had fallen had been samurai. In the grey twilight muted by fog, two crossed swords began to hum, shivering as if alive as they caught what little light there was and absorbed it. The humming became slowly stronger, until it ascended into a range outside human hearing, and then when it appeared the swords would fall apart from how hard they were shaking, they abruptly disappeared.

Now all that was left was a grave without a marker for the body beneath it.


	2. Chapter 2

Kanbei and Shichiroji were leaving that day, finding no need to stay in a village that no longer needed their help and protection, Before they left, though, Kanbei had a few good-byes to say. He walked over to the cliff where the graves of his fallen friends were and stopped at the edge of the treeline.

Something felt wrong.

No, something WAS wrong.

He ascended quickly to the graves and looked around quickly. There was Kikuchyo's, Gorobei's, Heihachi's...wait.

'Where are Kyuuzou's swords!' he thought as he walked over to the grave. He circled it, looking for any signs of where they could possibly have been taken. He found no footprints, he felt no aftertaste of aura in the air, heard nothing...which was endlessly frustrating.

'They could not have vanished into nothing!' he thought angrily, eyebrows furrowing. He stood looking at the now unmarked grave for a long time before sighing and leaving after praying for each of the fallen. He looked back at the grave and did a double take.

No...it had just been a shadow. But how could there be shadows on a flat plane overlooking a cliff? He felt uneasy, but walked back to Shichiroji, and left with him for Hotaruya,where he could stay and think as he found a new home for himself.

Kyuuzou watched Kanbei leave, and felt a searing pain on his hands. He glared at nothing and turned around, and jumped down the cliff face. So, Heihachi and Kikuchyo had died as well. He was slightly saddened by the loss of Heihachi; the had been a good warrior, hardworking and intelligent. He did not mourn for Kikuchyo though. What was the point?

He came to the base of the cliff and sighed. He turned and started to walk towards the city, where the one who controlled him pointed him.

He had initially awoken, disoriented and mildly pissed, to find himself clothed only with his swords. He had stood shakily, and glared at the darkness that was gathering around him.

"Clothes. Now."

He had clenched his teeth at the pain that flickered through him at his act of mild defiance, but he was given clothing anyway. even supernatural demons understood human's need for clothing. As he had roughly pulled on what had been provided for him(apparently the demon,or whatever it was, could see into his mind, since the clothing was not unlike that which he had worn in life), he had looked around, getting his bearings.

_We are near Kanna Village, where your lover is._

Kyuuzou had nodded and waited.

_I will let you see him,but you will not be able to interact or talk with him. Not yet. I just wanted to prove to you that I will allow you to pursue both of your obsessions. _

Kyuuzou had been annoyed at how the creature dare clump Kanbei with katsushiro, but had dealt with employers such as this one before. These were the ones you just nodded to and then went off and did what you wanted to after completing with all brevity the assignment that they were paying you to do.

_After this...Kouguya._

Kyuuzou had nodded and turned on his heel, sheathing his swords on his back.

Now he was walking towards the city that held many memories,and wasn't a bit happy about it. He forced himself to stop thinking about Kanbei, and instead concentrated on the land around him. He walked along, ignoring whatever thought his mind decided to present him with, and instead focused on the land that changed beneath his feet. He walked and morning turned to noon, noon to evening, and evening to night, yet Kyuuzou felt neither hungry nor tired, and it was only because he feet began to ache that he stopped to rest in a hollow. as he massaged feeling back into his feet, he allowed himself to wonder at his physical condition.

_It is because you are mine._

Kyuuzou waited for explanation. He winced when the writing began to appear on his hands and arms, and he knew it was working up his body.

_You are more than human now, Kyuuzou. You are a half-demon,and bound to me. You no longer need food, water, or rest. All that you need is the suffering,anger, and hate of people around you. That will be your sustenance, and your strength will grow according to your bloodlust. But never forget..._ Kyuuzou jerked at a cold touch that drew violatingly down his spine... _you are MINE._

Kyuuzou felt the being that he was slowly but surely learning to hate withdraw, and stood after putting his feet back into his boots. Physical exercise would be good right now. It would get rid of the cold of the night...and of the cold that still lingered from the demon's touch on his body. He started to sprint across the landscape, not even a shadow in the silver moonlight, only his breathing and the wind in his wake an indication that he was there.

Shichiroji looked at a pensive Kanbei as they sat beside the road that would lead them to Hotaruya.

"I haven't seen you this way in a while."

Kanbei was startled out of his revere by the sound of his old friend's voice. "What do you mean?"

"It's been a while since I've seen that face on you. You're feeling guilty about someone again. Who?"

Kanbei shook his head. "It's unimportant."

Shichiroji gave Kanbei a mild glare, which he pointedly ignored. Silence fell as Kanbei thought, and Shichiroji watched him. It took him five minutes to finally guess who Kanbei was thinking about. It wasn't the face of when he thought with regret about Heihachi's painful sacrifice, or of Kikuchyo's heroic effort to save the village, or of Gorobei's death. It wasn't the muted anger that Kanbei exuded when he thought of Katsushiro either. That left one person. That mixture of longing, sadness, possessiveness and competitiveness that found their way into his posture and eyes belonged to only one person.

"Why are you thinking about Kyuuzou?"

Kanbei sighed and gave his friend a half-smile. "You know, you're too good at reading me."

Shichiroji gave a patient smile that said he would not be deferred from the topic. Kanbei conceded defeat.

"Kyuuzou's swords are gone from his grave."

"What? How!" Shichiroji exclaimed, as alarmed as Kanbei had been.

"I don't know. No one around here would be dumb or audacious enough to take those swords. But then who would?"

Shichiroji frowned, and knew that Kanbei was still not telling everything, but that this would be all he would get out of him for the time being.

"Try to sleep, Kanbei. I'll smack you if you start making weird sketchy sounds."

His teasing provoked a snort out of Kanbei, and the two leaned against nearby trees, drifting off into uneasy sleep.

Kouguya had rebounded quickly from the brief war against the Amanushi Ukyo(who Kyuuzou was saddened that he hadn't seen die), and was prospering even more than before. he entered the town and nearly blacked out. He had to lean heavily against a nearby wall. and take few deep breaths to gather himself.

What was this feeling? He pushed himself off the wall and looked around. Things were different, yes, but...perhaps it was something else? He walked around slowly, and tried to figure out what exactly he was sensing. He felt tugged towards one street but ignored it, since he was distracted by his other senses. When pain flared up his arms he stopped, turned,and walked back to where he was being pulled. He walked down the sidestreet, and the feeling that had been distracting him quieted. His steps became quiet, and he felt that he was stalking someone. He hid in the abundant shadows and waited for a specific someone to enter the ally that led to the apartment complex. When someone came in and opened the door, he slipped in behind them, right before the door automatically closed. He waited until the person was gone, and then he slinked up the stairs, pausing at each floor. Once he reached the 6th floor he stepped out of the stairwell and walked quietly down the dimly lighted hall. His body stopped abruptly in front of a door and he looked at it and sighed. He made to open the door, but instead his fingers slipped right through the metal. Intrigued, he stuck his hand out and it passed through the door.

How useful.

He stepped directly through the door and looked around. He heard someone snoring from the main room and entered, never making a sound. His body, of its own will, pulled out one of his two swords and walked over to the man lying sound asleep on the floor.

_Kill him._

So Kyuuzou did.

A quick stab to the throat, then a twist to snap his neck and it was complete. Swift, silent. He pulled his sword out of the man's neck and cleaned it on the dead man's clothing. He sheathed the sword again, and felt as if he had just woken from a very long sleep. He was finally starting to feel 'alive' again. He looked out an open window and saw that there was enough room to land, and places soft enough to break his fall. He swung out the window and fell the few stories and landed on a rag and trash heap. He stepped out, slightly disgusted, and felt the feeling of invisibility dissipate. He walked out into the sunlight from the shadows and squinted. Damn light. He melted into the ever present throng, his black coat melding into the mix of other dark colors.


	3. Chapter 3

Kanbei and Shichiroji entered Kouguya, Shichiroji having to see someone first before returning to Hotaruya, He left Kanbei to drift, agreeing to meet where the road to Hotaruya began at dusk. It would give Kanbei time to mope away from a Shichiroji who wanted to see none of it.

Kanbei meandered around a still partially recovering Kouguya, seeing places that evoked memories and wincing inwardly. Too many reminders of painful sacrifices. That was why he wandered. If he wandered, he wouldn't attach memories and faces to places, and so be haunted with the images that places and situations made him remember. There was where he met Kikuchyo for the first time, there was where he met Katsushiro. After a while he just stopped walking, standing in the middle of the street.

He had no purpose.

He had no direction.

It was funny, but without a war or battles to fight, he was lost, confused. It was frustrating. He felt eyes on him, and looked around warily, and his hand found its way to his side. He gave a visible flinch when he remembered that he no longer had his sword. It had been a part of him...what had possessed him to do that? Now he _really_ had no skills that could help him survive. He sighed inwardly and began moving again, needing something to occupy his time instead of thoughts that dragged at his spirit.

Kyuuzou coughed hard, his body shaking with fatigue and pain. He opened his eyes slowly, and the pain within them was staggering. He had felt Kanbei nearby, and so had desired to see him. he had done something that the demon wanted, he thought it shouldn't be too bad to see him. He had stood and started walking to the main street where he felt Kanbei when all the air in his lungs was knocked out of him. He had staggered and leaned against a wall, but caught his breath and began walking again. It became hard to move his legs, as if he was walking through thick mud, but he persisted. When that hadn't stopped him, sharp pinpricks of pain had worked their way across his entire body. He had pointedly ignored it, his legs back to working order. He had nearly reached where he could see Kanbei when it felt as if his body was being torn in two. He had shuddered, but continued to stubbornly walk, until he reached the sunlight.

There.

There he was.

Kyuuzou fell to his knees, slumped against the wall, even as he just looked at Kanbei.

Kanbei appeared depressed. Probably blaming himself for all their deaths at Kanna Village. He saw Kanbei notice that someone was watching him, but Kyuuzou's eyes closed on their own accord, making Kyuuzou want to snarl at the demon had he been stupid enough to desire more torment. It seemed as if the desire was enough, for the pain in his body doubled. He looked down at his hand in a haze, and where he could see skin, there were the blood-red runes dancing across his body. He heard a harsh voice rasp in his mind,

_I gave you this body. I gave you this new chance to accomplish what you want. **I** control what you do._

Kyuuzou took a ragged breath and nodded his head slightly in understanding. He was no masocist. Very well, this was just another master to serve under. If his hand ever slackened, Kyuuzou would use it to his advantage. He had no desire to die from stubborness.

He had to settle two scores before that.

The pain slowly receeded as he felt Kanbei drift farther away from him. When Kanbei was out of the range of his senses, the pain finally ceased. He slowly stood, not knowing that the residual demonic energy still remained in his eyes. He shook his head and his eyes gained their sleepy, nonchalant cast again.

It looked like he was an assassin again.

He stepped away from the daylight and drifted into the shadows, the weight of his swords on his back the only comfort he currently had.


	4. Chapter 4

Kanbei met Shichiroji at where they had agreed and gave his old friend a small smile.

"You're done doing what you needed to?"

"_I_ am, but it looks like you're not."

Kanbei looked at Shichiroji skeptically.

Shichiroji knocked him soundly on the back of his head, making the dignified warrior stumble and glare.

"Stop brooding."

With that, he began walking, Kanbei falling into step beside him, a faint wry smile on his lips.

Kyuuzou sat in an alcove he had discovered when he had worked for Ayamaro, and took off one of the gloves he had bought a few moments after entering the city. It was faint, but if you looked hard enough, you could see it. On the back of his hand, on his palms, on his fingers, everywhere there were faint markings that seemed to shift beneath his skin, flowing as if they were his own blood. He shook his head slowly to clear it. Kanbei was no longer in this city. Katsushiro wasn't either. Why was he still here?

He tried to stand, but found that his legs didn't obey him. So he quieted and tried to listen. Whatever was controlling him ought to tell him why.

_Because I cannot walk among humans myself._

Kyuuzou waited for more explination, but instead found himself breathing hard as he struggled to stay concious.

_I need not explain myself to you, Kyuuzou. Just do as I command you. I will let you chase after those two soon enough._

Kyuuzou was able to feel his body again and his head cleared.

_Just listen, and I will tell you where to go._

'Why?'

_To make sure things go as they are meant to._

'You decide?'

Kyuuzou did not give the demon the pleasure of reacting as he felt cold whisper down his spine.

_I do._

With that, he felt the demon leave and his body slowly relaxed. If he ever was told to kill someone he didn't want to, he wouldn't. He wasn't idealistic, but he did believe that a man coould forge his own destiny. he was propelled into standing and pointed in one direction. So Kyuuzou began to meander leisurely along. For all he knew, he had all the time in eternity to complete his tasks. There was no deadline that he knew of. So he stalled, and, in his own quiet way, resisted the demon's commands.

Kanbei sat near the river that ran behind Hotaruya, and tried to decide what to do with his life. He did not want to burden his best friend and his lover with a nearly useless man. He had no desire to return to Kanna Village after finally escaping the graves the exhuded memory. But he had to do SOMETHING. His nature wouldn't allow him to sit idle for long. even after only two days at Hotaruya he was becoming restless. He tried to think of all the worthwhile skills he had. He was a strategist...a warrior...that was all well and good, but it didn't leave a lot of job opportunities. He could count on one hand what his skills would give him.

Unless, and of course, he decided to completly forsake what he had known and disappear into the wilderness. Which, actually, wasn't sounding too bad. He looked up at the quickly darkening sky and started. He was immediatly on his feet and crouched, wary. A shadow within the darkness was looking at him intently, as if trying to memorize every feature. He felt its gaze become disapproving and kanbei tensed when he saw the shadowed figure draw out a sword. The figure tossed it lightly at Kanbei who caught it instinctivly.

He heard the shadow say something, and the voice combined with the sword in his hand made his heart beat painfully in his chest. He looked back up again and shook his head. That could not have been him.

Then how was he holding one of the missing swords in his hands? And why had he understood the meaning behind the shadow's statement? As he went into the building, brows furrowed in thought, he heard the words in his mind spoken by a voice that he recognized so well and yet knew that it was impossible.

"Don't lose it," the shadow had said. In _his_ voice.

Kanbei carefully avoided all the occupied rooms of hotaruya and went to the room that Shichiroji was allowing him to borrow. He sat down on the mattress and held the sword up, and watched the light from the lamp in his room flicker across it.

'It's sharp...' he thought and gave it a swing through the air. The way it sounded, the way it felt in his hand...he hadn't realized he'd missed his own sword so much. He looked at the gift and gave a small lopsided smile. Well, now he knew that he could market his skills as a warrior again. He heard Shichiroji approaching, so he put down the sword and stood to meet him. He'd have to get a sheathe for Kyuuzou's sword soon. He couldn't carry it around without one; it simply wasn't smart. Shichiroji opened the door and smiled lopsidedly at his friend.

"Still sharp enough to hear me coming, eh?"

"You walk loudly."

"So say you."

"I've decided what I'll do for now, until the next war comes up."

"Oh?"

Kanbei shook his head, declining to answer as he exited the room,closing the door behind him. Shichiroji heaved a dramatic sigh and led his old friend to dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

Author: I am giving you all advance warning. This is the -only- chapter that is making me consider bumping up the rating to M. This chapter has lots and lots of violence. Gruesome descriptive violence. Do not read if you either A) have little tolerance for blood and/or violence or B) like Katsushiro. I feel now that I have given you fair enough warning. This will probably be the most gory chapter. You can probably skip reading this,for while it has significance to the story, it isn't entirely necessary to understanding the plot. Thank you. (sweatdrop)

Kyuuzou stretched, trying to adjust the weight favorably on his back. It was strange, only having one sword. He'd have to get a new sheathe.

_Or you could get Kanbei's sword back._

That interested Kyuuzou. 'Where is it?'

_With Katsushiro._

Kyuuzou was not surprised. Kanbei** would** do something stupid like that.

_It's time for me to fulfill part of my side of the deal._

Without warning, Kyuuzou felt the world collapse around him and everything became black.

Kyuuzou rebounded quickly from the transit that the demon had put him through and looked around. So, this is where katsushiro made his home. Quiet, secluded...the perfect place for meditation and training.

Unfortunately for katsushiro, it was also an ideal place for murder. No one to hear. No one to help.

Kyuuzou silently entered the house, his presence muffled and his steps making no sound. He looked into the room adjacent to the main room, and saw Katsushiro asleep, and smirked. He saw Kanbei's sword leaning on the wall near Katsushiro's head, and also noted that katsushiro slept with his sword near at hand. He thought for a long moment, and planned out how he would retrieve the sword. He walked around katsushiro, passing near his head, only the slight flutter of his coat marking his movements. He picked up Kanbei's sword and walked back the way he had come.

'Stupid and sloppy. he still isn't observant enough to be a samurai.'

He left the house, and looked at the sword in his hand. He abruptly felt his body stop, and he would have fallen forward had his body not prevented that.

_You said you wanted to kill him._

'He's not a challenge as is. He never noticed me in the house, walking around him,or even taking one of his possessions. He's not worth my skills.'

Kyuuzou was suddenly flooded with a bloodlust stronger than he'd felt in many years.

_You will kill him. It was one of the things you wished to accomplish._

Even as Kyuuzou struggled against the red wave, he felt his body place the sheathed sword on the ground gently, almost lovingly. He drew his swords and looked at the blades as they shone in the moonlight. His eyes focused on the house and he walked leisurely back into it, as silent as before.

To wake the man he would kill, he cut a support and left the house again as it began to lean down on Katsushiro.

The feeling of the night air on his skin and the sounds of the house falling woke Katsushiro up, and, startled, he grabbed his sword and cut an opening in the roof that was falling on him large enough to escape unharmed. He looked back at the room with a forlorn sigh.

'How could it have fallen? I was sure it was secure.'

He went over and looked at the support, and noticed that it had not broken; rather, that it had been cut.

'From the INSIDE.'

Katsushiro turned quickly, hand hovering over the hilt of his sword. His eyes settled on a figure cloaked in shadow standing two swords' length away from him.

"Who are you?" Katsushiro demanded.

The figure said nothing, but attacked. Katsushiro met his blade with his, before he felt his feet swept out from under him. As he sought to turn in the air and catch his fall, he felt his grip on his sword loosen and even as he rolled away from the attacker, he felt something was wrong. When he looked at his hand, he gasped. All the fingers on the hand that had been holding the sword were neatly cut off, only his thumb remaining, its hold fragile on his sword. He gripped the sword with his other hand, and stood up, a more wary of his attacker. even as he squinted to make out the outline of the figure, it was as if he was looking through water, everything blurry about him. Maybe if he was closer he could see better. He charged and dealt a down-sweeping blow, which the attacker nimbly sidestepped. Katsushiro felt the sword slip in his hands again, and no matter how hard he tried to hold on, it kept on slipping. He looked at his hands as he recovered from his charge, and gasped. Only the sheer strength he hand built up in his arms and hands were keeping the sword still. He had no fingers, no thumbs. Just palms. He glared up at the attacker, careful, yet feeling the growing haze that came whenever he battled. Even as he braced himself, the attacker moved, too fast for katsushiro to follow. He saw his sword fly away from him, his hands from the wrist up falling with it. He was hit hard in the stomach and was sent flying into a tree. He gasped up blood and as he tried to orient himself again, he felt a sword pierce his left elbow and twist. katsushiro felt all the bones in the joint snap, and the tendons that connected the muscle were ripped apart, sending the now loose muscles crawling up and down his arm, bunching at his shoulder and the bloody stump of a wrist. he swung his right arm around, but felt his forearm neatly cut off, as easily as if his arm were paper. The sword then entered his right shoulder, and the blade dislocated his arm and tore the muscle past the point of ever healing. The attacker stepped back into the clearing, as if admiring his handiwork. Katsushiro struggled to his feet, bracing his back on the tree to be able to stand up. Panting from pain and bloodloss, he glared at the attacker.

"Who are you?" he rasped, swaying on his feet.

There was no answer besides a cold, focused anger.

Which slowly turned into consideration. Yes, that would do quite nicely, the silence said.

katsushiro did not like feeling vulnerable or weak; he had grown! He would show that he could still do some damage! With a yell he charged the attacker, and swung his leg as if to kick him on the side.

The warrior once again did a graceful sidestep before slamming the flat of his blade into Katsushiro's hip as it passed him, breaking it beyond all possible repair. katsushiro managed to remain standing on one foot, and he was shivering. How could someone possibly be this good! As he wondered, he felt too late the warrior on the side of his good hip. The pain hit him after only a moment, and he fell to the ground, unable to move, his face grinding into the dirt. With a supreme effort of will, he managed to turn himself over to look up at the attacker that stood over him. What he finally saw made him shiver.

Glowing red eyes bored into his, filled with such malign hatred and pleasure that it took katsushiro's breath away. The attacker was looking at him, as if trying to decide what to do with him next.

"KILL M-!"

His attacker had lunged in and stuffed his forearm into Katsushiro's mouth, silencing him and choking him. The muffled sounds of distress seemed to give the attacker an idea. With his free hand he tore off a large strip of cloth from one of katsushiro's sleeves, and then replaced his forearm with the bloody ball of cloth, pushing it back far enough to block air from entering katsushiro's lungs.

The boy struggled frantically, but without use of arms or legs, he simply tired himself out more. As his air started to run out, the moonlight finally shifted into a position which Katsushiro could see his attacker's face. He stopped moving from both lack of air and shock. As darkness closed upon him, the thought that would haunt him was of the cold revenge and satisfaction in glowing red eyes that did and did not belong to Kyuuzou.

Kyuuzou waited only a moment when he was sure katsushiro had probably incurred debilitating brain damage before pulling out the cloth and watched as Katsushiro's body reacted instinctively, drawing in huge gasps of air, trying to keep the body going even when the mind was broken.

_You will kill him._

'He is dead, as far as I am concerned. If he does not die of bloodloss, he will die of infection. And even if he survives both these and gets mechanical replacements for the limbs I have taken from him, his mind is still shattered. He _is_ dead.'

Kyuuzou left the shell of the boy turned man behind him, and after picking up Kanbei's sword, he melted into the shadows of the forest.

Author: Flames are welcome and appreciated: )


	6. Chapter 6

It took Kyuuzou a day to figure out where exactly he was, and when he did, he sighed heavily. It would take him a long time to get to Kougakyo. If Kanbei was even there anymore. He walked, and he thought, which he tried not to do. He found that the demon could somehow sense his thoughts, so he tried to keep his inner dialogue as low and as infrequent as possible. He stuck to the shadows, not wanting any more attention than necessary. When the occasional person, farmer or traveler, caught sight of him, he saw them involuntarily shudder. That made him wonder.

'I wish I could see myself, just once...'

Whenever he came by a stream though, it was either too murky or moving too quickly for him to see what he looked like. He was heading towards Kougakyo when his legs abruptly stopped him next to a clearing.

'NOW what?'

He turned and looked, and saw a small family of farmers, doing their best to survive on little. He felt his hands creeping towards his swords and with a great effort, stopped them.

'They have done nothing and can do nothing.'

_You will not question my orders!_

Kyuuzou flinched and his hands again went to his swords. Through the haze he felt whenever the demon exercised his will, he forced his hands to stop and slowly put one foot in front of the other. He had killed many, many people in his life, and had never regretted it.

He didn't want to start regretting his kills now.

He moved at an agonizingly slow pace, fighting for every step. What normally would have been a journey of only a few minutes took a little less than a half hour. It was only once he had crossed the entrance to the clearing and was far enough away that he was unable to see the family anymore that he was released. He stumbled, and nearly ran into a tree. He braced himself against it, panting, face tight with pain. He pulled a small portion of his sleeve back and gave a wry smile. There they were, the runes that marked him and claimed him. He let his sleeve fall and continued walking.

He heard a twig snap and reacted instinctively, drawing his sword and putting it to the throat of the person who had come up behind him.

A boy of no more than 15 stood there, his eyes both afraid and curious.

"Do you want to die?" Kyuuzou asked softly, and could feel the runes burning on his skin, heard a whisper in his mind telling him to indeed kill the kid.

The boy's eyes widened, not expecting to hear such a violent question asked in such a calm, dead voice.

"N-n-no."

Kyuuzou, with a great amount of stubbornness, managed to lower his sword.

"Go."

The boy turned quickly and began to walk away, but Kyuuzou lost the battle over control of his body long before the boy had even taken a few steps.

The demon pulled Kyuuzou's sword out of the boy's heart and watched as the body fell.

_That wasn't so hard, was it?_

It is never difficult to kill. That...wasn't...right, though.

_**I** will decide what is right for you to do._

I have never killed anyone who was unable to defend themselves. I do not want to start now.

_Too bad._

Kyuuzou felt the control of his body wrenched from him, and found it disconcerting that he could only watch as the demon, through him, killed the family. Kyuuzou managed to wrench part of control from the demon, and stayed his hand from killing their youngest child, a girl of around only two or three years.

The girl stared up at Kyuuzou with wide eyes, and wondered at how his eyes flickered between the glowing red she had seen before and a flat crimson. eventually the sword that had been raised to kill her fell to Kyuuzou's side, and his eyes no longer glared red. He to his knees in front of the girl, and his breathing was ragged and tortured. He looked at her, eyes sad and remorseful. He then abruptly hit her head, and knocked her out.

"I hope that was hard enough to cause amnesia but not hard enough for permanent damage," he murmured softly, his voice heavy with both bodily and mental pain. He staggered to his feet, using his sword as a prop. Once standing, he sheathed the sword quickly, lest the demon get any ideas. He turned quickly and sprinted away from the scene, wanting to lose himself in the exercise, but knew that he'd still feel the sense of wrongness hovering over him no matter how far he got from it. The only thing that guided where he put his feet was the feel of Kanbei's sword against his hip, reminding him of what he planned to do.

Author: If you like my story, please review. Reviews make a happy author and encourages my abilities. puppy dog eyes of DOOM


	7. Chapter 7

Kanbei hated lying, but when it wouldn't attract attention, it was nessacary. By now everyone knew who Shimada Kanbei was; how could they not, considering it was partially his doing that they no longer lived under the rule of the Amanushi? He had traded in his old clothes for new ones that blended in more and had cut his hair, effectivly getting rid of how most people would identify him.

It felt weird being able to feel the wind against the back of his neck.

He searched Kougakyo for work for a solid week before giving up. There was no work to be had in the bustling city for a samurai. There were other cities scattered about; he had visited a few before, and knew that there would most likely be work there. He left the city that held far too many memories behind and headed east through the desert, remembering a map of the continent in his head. Yes, there would be a city that way. There, stories of his exploits with the other six would most likely be just that, stories. He shrugged his new cloakover his shoulders and started out.

'It seems like I'm back to wandering...'

Kyuuzou's body gave out from beneath him and he lay on the rocky ground that he had met after leaving the forest behind. He had, to all purposes, nearly starved himself. He had resolutely given a wide bearth to any human settlements, depriving himself of the emotions that his new self fed off of, and had been moving without rest, not giving his mind time to recover. He ignored the demon's attempts to make him stop, and it was only from sheer exhaustion that had caused him to stop. He found a small cave and curled up in it, and allowed himself to succumb to the numbness brought on by pushing himself too hard for too long.

Kyuuzou's dream self stirred and shook his head.

What was that murmuring?

He tried to be as quiet as possible, and focused on the muffled words. Slowly they came into focus and as he listened, his eyes widened.

Just as it seemed that the demon could sense Kyuuzou's thoughts when he was awake, it appeared that Kyuuzou could hear the demon's when he was asleep.

'So that's why he wanted me to rest. So that I wouldn't fall asleep...'

It was a painful realization to find that he was once again just being used as a means to an end.

'It seems I can't even escape that in the afterlife.'

He listened closely, and, for the first time in his life,was actively horrified and disgusted. It was only when he heard something that made him want to snarl did hewake up.

Kyuuzou's body was in motion long before his mind registered.

'I must find Kanbei.'

He was on his feet and following his instincts within moments . He knew that,for once, the demon wouldn't dissaprove of his going to find Kanbei. After all, it's what it wanted as well.

He looked up at the sky and gained his bearings. He was heading east.

Why? Kougakyo wasn't that way.

Perhaps Kanbei had left it.

That was simultaneously convienet and frustrating. Convienent because he didn't have to risk being recognized by someone, frustrating because he wouldn't know the lay of the city and land. But that was mostly inconsequential. He knew that as he traveled, he would find himself forced more and more to kill people that went against every guiding idea he had. He'd do it, though. He'd swallow his pride and objections, just to placate that which was controling him. Why?

So that when the time came, he'd have enough strength in him to protect Kanbei.


	8. Chapter 8

Kanbei smiled faintly at himself as he put his meager belongings away in the bunk that had been assigned to him. He had found work in the first city he came across. The city wasn't too dissimilar from Kougakyo. There seemed to be fewer samurai though, so luck was on his side for that much. There were many posts open for a wanderer; bodyguard, soldier, guard...if there was anything that needed protecting, people would employ a samurai. He found that the city, Haruka, centered more on culture and less on economics, unlike Kougakyo. There were many theatres, tea houses, and art and history museums. Lots of places that held precious things. Lots of places that a war hero could get lost.

He had signed on as a solider under the local warlord that watched over the city. The warlord asked very little of the inhabitents; he received the profit made by the sales tax on all goods bought and sold, and took a little rice from the surrounding areas to feed him and his extensive family. There was the expected level of dissent within the city, as well as harboring its own little pockets of theives, assassins, and gangs. Enough action to occupy Kanbei's active mind while also giving himself time to relax. He looked at the uniform issued to him and gave a wry smile. It had been a long time since he had worn an uniform. He shrugged it on with a measure of discomfort. Uniforms brought memories, and memories brought on pain, which he tried to avoid. As he turned to put his clothes away, he sent the sword that he had rested next to his clothes clanking to the ground. He winced at the sharp sound, but then shook his head.

'Fine. You'll come back to me, so I won't dwell.'

He picked up the sword gently and threw his clothes into a drawer,then slipped sword and sheathe into his belt.

"Good, you got settled in."

Kanbei looked over to the younger soldier leaning casually against the doorpost.

"Yes, I managed to figure things out," Kanbei replied with a small smile.

"What's your name again?"

"Shimada Kanbei."

Kanbei had found that he was far enough away from Kougakyo for his story to be known, but his name was not common knowledge,so he had used it.

"Well, Shimada-san, my name is Kanzaki Ryuuo and it's been delegated to me to explain the procedures to you." Ryuuo gave a small half-smile. "Though it is rather strange explaining these things to someone who is obviously much older than I am."

"Age doesn't matter. I just needed employment. There are no wars to fight."

"Ah...I see. So you're more of a warrior than a soldier."

"You could say that."

"Well, come on. Enough talk here. I still have to show you around."

Ryuuo pushed off the door and turned, gesturing for Kanbei to follow.

Kanbei was always one step behind Ryuuo, and listened attentively as Ryuuo explained the inner workings to him.

His job was relatively simple. He was to roam the streets and keep the peace; break up any fights, help keep unrest to a minimum. He would also be called upon to guard in his Lord's residence, keeping him and his family safe from harm. Very different from the wars he was used to, but not something to which he couldn't get acclimated. He wouldn't be paid, but he would be fed, clothed, housed, and given medical care, if needed, by his Lord. His life was essential cared for, and all he had to do in return was to take care of his Lord's life. Not a bad deal.

Ryuuo grinned at him as he finished his tour. "It'll take a few days for you to meet all the guys who work here,since some patrol at odd hours of the day and night. Patrols are in groups of 5, guard shifts are in groups of 3. The shifts rotate so that you're not working with the same people all the time until we figure out who you work well with and who to keep you away from. I think you'll adapt realitvely easily though. You seem very disciplined."

Kanbei gave him a wry smile. "Being in the army will do that to you."

"What were you?"

"...a soldier."

"That' s too vauge. What was your post?"

"At the time the last war ended?"

"Yes."

"...a Commander."

Ryuuo's eyebrows immediatly shot up. "Really? Then we are very lucky to have you. Quite a few people here follow orders well, but not many are good at directing the efforts of our men."

"We'll see how things go."

"I look forward to it!"

There was a pause as Ryuuo looked Kanbei over, seeing him in a new light.

"Anyway, it's dinner time and I'm _starving_."

Kyuuzou hid in the shadows of an overhang, keeping himself out of the rain. He looked out at the people who ran through the rain into buildings, and pulled off his gloves. The runes were still there, faintly glowing beneath his skin. If he looked at them long enough and blocked out all other senses, he could almost understand the mechanism that was keeping him in the living world. It was disconcerting. His hand found its way to Kanbei's sword that rested on his hip, and he gave a small smile. He had finally found Kanbei, though he had never thought that he would find him in a city that held so many memories. It had taken longer than he had wanted to find him, but he had been sidetracked by various demands of the demon. The fact that he barely felt the demon's presence was testimony that Kyuuzou's acting was still in top shape. The demon probably thought that Kyuuzou had been worn down under threat of soul-searing pain, but that was trutfully the least of what was hurting him.

He had never regretted his kills as much as he did now.

Soon, though, he would find Kanbei and get his sword back, as well as giving Kanbei's sword back to him. Kyuuzou sat in the corner, cloaked in shadow, and waited for the rain to stop.


	9. Chapter 9

Kanbei was walking with four other men--Takeshi, Amano, Kyo, and Toya--his boots sticking in the mud with each step.

"That was some storm today, eh? Glad it wasn't our shift,"Kyo said as he streatched.

"Poor Ryuuo...he looked like a drowned cat when he came in," Toya said with sympathy in his voice.

Kanbei listened to the others talk, but spoke minimally. Something had been bothering him the entire day. He wasn' t quite able to name what it was, but it felt itchingly familiar. He placed his hand on the hilt of his borrowed sword, and paid more attention to his surroundings than he usual would have. No one seemed to notice Kanbei's unease, nor did they appear to feel anything was wrong. Kanbei tried to relax, but found that it was nearly impossible. When his patrol returned to HQ, Kanbei thought that he could escape the feeling. It _did_ become muted, but it was still there on the edge of his conciousness.

Kanbei was sitting in the common room, and had just finished sharpening his blade when he felt a presence that he had been waiting for, and was on his feet and walking in a heartbeat, sliding the sheathe and sword into his belt as he did. He followed his instincts, and heard a group of guards discover, and, judging from the thud he heard, were taught to be wary of the crimson warrior. Kanbei turned a corner and was confronted with the sight of two wary guards on either side of the blonde. Kanbei saw Kyuuzou's attention shift from the guards to himself, and he gave the Kyuuzou a small smile. The guards couldn't react quickly enough, so Kanbei found himself confronted with a pair of crimson eyes framed by pleasently messy blonde hair.

"You didn't lose it."

Kanbei gave the man a wry smile. "I don't lose what is leant to me."

There was a pause before Kyuuzou took a sword from his belt and held it out in front of him.

"A trade."

Kanbei recognized the sword and his hands itched to hold it again. He hadn't realized how much he had missed it.

"Very well."

Kanbei held out Kyuuzou's sword and they exchanged them, and gave them a brief looking over. Kyuuzou took his sword and sheathed it on his back,and let the sheathe Kanbei had bought for it fall to the ground. Kanbei unsheathed the sword and tested its edge, and was mildly surprised.

'This is sharper than I've ever managed to get it...' Other things too, were on his mind as he slid his sword intohis belt.

"How'd you get it back?" he asked as Kyuuzou was turning to leave. There was a long pause, before the answer came back.

"Fear and shock."

Kanbei read that there was more than what Kyuuzou said, but before he could ask anything else, Kyuuzou interrupted his train of thought.

"When you're used to that sword again, I'll find you."

_And then we'll finish our duel _were the unspoken words that hung between them. Kyuuzou seemed to vanish into the shadows, and left an amused Kanbei and two confused guards behind. There was a long, mildly awkward silence as the two guards helped their now regaining concious friend and observed the man standing a few feet away. Kanbei turned to face them, and walked over and helped them with their dazed comrade.

"Yuki-san, take Miura to his quarters and make sure he recovers. It may take time, though. The one who did this isn't gentle in any way. I'll sub for you two until the shift changes."

Yuki nodded slowly and helped his friend onto his feet before starting to stagger towards their quarters. After a moment of silence, the other guard, Ken, looked at Kanbei's sword curiously.

"Who was that, Shimada-san?"

"...an aquaintance."

"Why'd you change swords?"

"I was merely borrowing his. He located my true sword and so he came to return it to me."

"Why didn't you have it?"

"I gave it to someone..."

"And he found that someone and made them give it back?"

"Most likely."

"Why would he do that for _you_?"

"...we have a score to settle."

"Oh?"

Kanbei's smile was both soft and feral. "We have a duel to finish. It will most likely end in one of us dying...but that's both the fun and the challenge of it."

Ken looked at him skeptically. "He seems...decent enough."

"He is much more than 'decent'. Much more. We'll find out soon, though," he said as he ran a thumb over the hilt of his sword. "It won't take me long to remember how to use this sword, nor will it take him long to readapt to having two swords."

Ken did a double take. "_Two swords_!"

Kanbei was amused by Ken's shock. "He's the only person I've found who can use them correctly."

"That's unfair, though!"

"I held my own against him before. I can do it again."

Ken didn't believe him, but Kanbei shrugged it off. The two spent the remainder of the shift thinking very different thoughts before they were both relieved of duty. Kanbei walked back to his room to sleep, and a vauge smile hinted on his lips. If he _could_ sleep that night.

Kyuuzou sat on the roof ot the tallest part of the building that Kanbei was in, and thought. Why had he postponed their duel even longer? Hadn't that been one of the reasons he had come back from the dead? He remembered the reason he gave, and was actually proud of his ingenuity. It made sense, because Kanbei knew as well as he did that he wanted a fight where both of them were in top shape. Still...

True, he had said that he would be the only one who would kill Kanbei, and that was still the case. But that wouldn't be happening any time soon.

And it wasn't just because that the demon wanted Kanbei dead.

It was because Kyuuzou wanted...no..._needed_...Kanbei. He wanted his skills, wanted the challenge, wanted to protect him, wanted to touch him, wanted to know what it would be like to hold him, to be kissed by him, to--

'Stop that!' he snarled at himself,feeling distinctly uncomfortable at such thoughts and feelings.

As he resettled himself on the roof, he was comforted slightly by the weight of both swords on his back again. He would wait a few days, practice with both his swords, and prepare forr the final showdown of skill. He knew he'd figure out by then what was the added motivation as to why he returned to the living, to why he sought out Kanbei. He'd know by then, and he'd act.

The story behind Kanbei's new sword took all of ten minutes to circulate through the ranks. Many were eagre to see the sword that he now had, which amused Kanbei.

"It's not that remarkable," he said once, when Ryuuo was looking it over.

"Not that remarkable? This is some of the finest craftsmanship I've ever seen.'not that remarkable' indeed!"

Kanbei smiled slightly and watched as Ryuuo sheathed the sword and handed it back to Kanbei.

"Who was it that brought this back to you?"

"An aquaintance."

"I've heard _that_. A name?"

"Why? I doubt that you'd know him."

"Try me. I may know more than you'd think."

Kanbei couldn't see the harm in it. If they didn't know him, they sure as hell wouldn't know Kyuuzou.

"Kyuuzou."

Kanbei was not expecting Ryuuo's reaction.

"_Kyuuzou_?" he gasped.

'This can't be good...' "Yes."

"THE Kyuuzou?"

"I'm certain that there are more than one person named Kyuuzou in the world, so I can'tbe certain."

"Yes...you're right. The one I'm thinking of is most likely dead. Probably died along with everyone else."

"Oh?" This sounded interesting, and might provide a little background to what little he knew of Kyuuzou.

"You know by now that in this city, there are far too many places to hide. At one point during a past war, a hugely successful assassin ring was based here. Every assassin they had was very good, but I've heard stories that the one who was the best was very different from all the others. He was young, much younger than all of the other highly trained assassins. It's said that he would take, and accomplish, any mission, as long as it was difficult. The war ended, though, and so did the missions,sothere was no more need for assassins. Someone must have discovered where the ring was based, because all I know is that shortly after the war, everyone was found dead that worked for that particular group. I assume that Kyuuzou must have died as well. It's a shame, though. I would have liked to see if rumors of his skill were true."

"Why do you think that the Kyuuzou you speak of might be the same one who gaveme my sword?"

"How many samurai do you know that can handle two swords, as he was rumored to?"

That brough a long, thoughtful pause from Kanbei.

"Perhaps we do speak of the same person. But we can't be sure."

"No, not until I see him. Hey! You said you have a duel with him, right? So you'll be meeting him again, right? I'll make sure I'll go on patrol with you, so that maybe I'll have a chance at seeing him!"

Kanbei nodded. "Very well."

Ryuuo gave him a large smile. "And I get to see how good _you_ are, Commander."


	10. Chapter 10

Kyuuzou finished his exercises, and looked around. This place...so many memories. Yes, it had been renovated and now belonged to a landlord that lived next to the building, but no-one had come forward to rent it out. They claimed that the ghosts of all who were killed here still roamed the place.

And they were right.

Kyuuzou recognized all of them, too. Each and every spirit glared at him with mute hatred, but shied away from him. After all, none of them wanted to tangle with a demon who could send them True Death,who could actually touch and cut them,kill them again. As he walked through the grounds, remembering, he eventually came across a spirit who still commanded some respect. The two looked at each other for long moments.

Somehow, Kyuuzou, you have managed to become even more skilled. I wonder how long I would have lasted against you now.

'That's interesting. You don't seem to hate me like the others do.'

I knew that you would do what you did one day. Your desire to be the best wouldn't have allowed you to do otherwise.

There was a long pause as the looked at each other.

Have you found someone to test your skills?

'Yes.'

His leader was slightly perplexed. The tone in which Kyuuzou had said it was different.

'He is someone I met before, on a mission once. Though I doubt he'd remember me.'

You're fairly hard to forget.

'Not when I don't look or act nothing alike.'

Oh, I see. That mission.

'Yes.' There was only the mildest hint of a smirk in Kyuuzou's eyes, although his face remained impassive. 'I never thought I'd return here.'

Why are you here?

'Him.'

The leader was mildly amused, but then a more serious question came tomind.

How did you become a demon?

Kyuuzou declined to answer, his eyes becoming hard and impassive.

It doesn't matter, then. Are you going to challenge him soon?

'Yes.'

And then what, if you win? 

There was another long pause, Kyuuzou becoming even more distant.

'We'll see.'

Kyuuzou turned on his heel and left at an easy pace, but the leader could see something was troubling the blonde, even though he had become much more reserved and cold then even when he had killed them all.

What an interesting man you've become, Kyuuzou.

Kanbei was on patrol with Kyo, Takeshi, Amano, and Ryuuo when he felt that itch in the back of his mind that made him wary. Something always happened whenever he felt it.

He and his group were resting for a moment, watching over a section of the city that was one of the less populated, but more troubled because there were more places to hide.

As he watched, Kanbei saw people give a wide bearth to a particulr building, or, if they had to walk in front of it, bowed deeply before hurrying away.

"What's wrong with that building?" he asked Ryuuo. Ryuuo turned away from his conversation and looked where Kanbei was.

"Oh, that one. I hadn't realized we had come to this section of town. You know that story I told you about the assassins?"

"Yes."

"That's the building that they operated from. People say it's haunted. Personally, I don't believe in ghosts, but weird things do happen there whenever we have to pass it during the night."

Kanbei nodded slightly, then looked at a window sharply. He had thought he had seen something within.

And he had.

Out of the front door came Kyuuzou, and he stood on the threshold, looking at Kanbei and his patrol, the challenge in his posture.

kanbei stepped forward and Kyuuzou moved as well, and the two began to circle each other.

Kyuuzou had figured out, after a few days of meditation and practice, what the real reason was behind his desire.

"I came back for you."

Kanbei nodded slightly, but was confused at the inflection in Kyuuzou's voice. He assumed that it meant that Kyuuzou had come back to kill him, and, really, it would be an honor to die by his sword.

"We duel here, then?"

As an answer, Kyuuzou drew his swords.

Kanbei was unconcious of the small smile that was on his face as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The two moved at the same time,and this time they were not startled by the other's skill. In fact, each would have been dissapointed had the other had not met them with the same skill level.

Each cut was met with a parry, then repose; the footwork was perfect, and no matter what means they used to throw the other off-balance, the other always rebounded.

Ryuuo watched as the two fought, it seeming more like a deadly dance than the duels he was used to watching. He was amazed at the skill each showed, and his appreciation of Kanbei's skills only grew. A crowd began to form, people making bets on who would win, staring, making commentary, and cheering on their favorite. The two who were dueling, however, seemed oblivious to all that was going on around them, focused only on each other and the fight. The fight wore on, and each began to tire.

Kyuuzou, however, was just a little faster even as he tired.

He sidestepped Kanbei's sword thrust,and parryed the sheathe before slamming his other sword into the arm Kanbei held his sword with, releasing Kanbei's grip. He then elbowed the older man in the stomach, making him gasp and stumble backwards. Kyuuzou immediatly had him pinned to the nearby wall, sword at his throat.

"You...win..."gasped Kanbei breathlessly as he looked into Kyuuzou's emotionless eyes. "Kill me."

As he watched, Kyuuzou's eyes became slowly annoyed. Kanbei _hadn't_ understood what he had meant.

"Idiot."

Kyuuzou then did something that shocked Kanbei(as well as all the others who had gathered); he lowered his sword...and kissed Kanbei. Kanbei could help but stare into the younger man's eyes as they tried to tell him something. Kyuuzou drew away after a long moment.

"I came back for you. I'll meet you again when you figure out what I mean."

Kyuuzou backed away from Kanbei, then turned, sheathing his swords. He walked away, the crowd parting before him, his black coat fluttering lightly as he left.

Kanbei watched him leave as he walked over and picked up his sword, and sheathed it absentmindedly.

'He didn't kill me. Why?'

_I came back for you._

What did that mean? It obviosuly wasn't a threat. It sounded almost more like...a promise. But what was he promising?

Kanbei came back to reality as his patrol came over to him, amazed and confused. Kanbei would ponder Kyuuzou's words later, when he didn't have to focus on so many other things.

"You were _amazing_, Shimada-san!"

Kanbei was slightly amused by Ryuuo's enthusiasm.

"And that _was_ the Kyuuzou I spoke to you about. I wonder why he let you live..."

"He gave me a reason, but I need to think about it more."

"Oh? Why? Not good enough?"

Kanbei shook his head slightly. "No, just unclear."

"I see. Well, that took up a nice chunk of time," Kyo said cheerily. "Now it won't feel quite so endless."

"Why, what's the hurry? Got someone waiting for you?" Amano teased.

"N-n-n-no!"

The others grinned, but Kanbei only shook his head. Kyuuzou's words would be bothering him until he figured them out.

Kyuuzou knew that if he had eaten anything that it would have been long out of his body.

_FOOL! _

Kyuuzou's body was on fire, the places where Katsushiro had shot him burning with even more intensity than the rest. Kyuuzou tensed, then slumped against the wall he was sitting against, his breathing ragged.

_I brought you back so you could finish your duel with him and you WALK AWAY. After defeating him! I now regret being so lax about controlling you._

Kyuuzou grimaced as the heat turned to bitter cold, making him shiver uncontrollably. He declined to give an answer to any of the statements or threats, and concentrated simply on surviving. True, he couldn't actually die anymore,but that did nothing to numb what was happening to him. He could see the runes writhing on his skin where the glove didn't quite extend under the sleeve of his jacket. He had never seen them burn such a bright, angry red before. He looked up,resting his head on the hard brick, and watched the clouds race across a blood-red sky, and he endured,only the fleeting thought on Kanbei keeping him from succumbing.


	11. Chapter 11

Kanbei sat on his futon, thinking as he ran his thumb across the sheathe of his sword as it rested against his shoulder. What could Kyuuzou possibly have meant?

_I came back for you._

No, he was putting the wrong inflections in it when he thought of it. To his mind, it still sounded like he had returned to finish the business of their duel. Which obviously was not the case. Where was the empahsis in the words? What was the feeling behind them?

'If only he were easier to read...'

_I came back for you._

_I came back for you._

WHAT DID IT MEAN?

He sat thinking far into the night, which was rather stupid considering he had the early morning guard shift that started at 4am.

It was at 3:50am, after having puzzled over it from 3pm,that he finally understood. The wording was slightly off. There were things Kyuuzou had left unsaid, thinking that Kanbei would understand them implicitly. They were one of two things:

I came back _for your sake,_

or

I came back _to be with you._

Either option was relatively disconcerting and yet...

As he stood and pulled on his uniform, feeling comforted that he had finally figured it out, he also was struck by a realization that made him even more uncomfortable.

'Kyuuzou said he'd find me, though. I'm certain he'll keep his word.'

Ryuuo yawned and leaned against the turret, watching the lights that lit the street slowly fade as all signs of life dissapeared for the few hours before dawn. Kanbei's body was complaining that it hadn't had enough sleep, but he was able to ignore it because of the chill wind that blew over the turrets.

"I can't believe you know Kyuuzou! _The_ Kyuuzou!" Ryuuou said sleepily, but with an undertone of awe and envy.

"If I had known he was so well known around here, I wouldn't have mentioned his name."

"You don't like bringing attention to yourself, do you? Yet you have a way of doing so unconciously."

Kanbei gave the younger man a wry smile.

"You know what I've heard, Shimada-san? You know that during the last Great War, this castle used to belong to the uncle of the man who controls this city now? I heard it was a summer home, almost a kind of resort for him. I don't quite remember his name, but I do know what happened to him. Its said he died mysteriously, perfectly healthy one day,and then the next, mutilated and very much dead. The thing was, he was a very good, very skilled samurai. How someone could have gotten close enough to him to kill him in such a spiteful fashion is beyond me."

Kanbei was mildly startled by this tale. The city had looked a little familiar, but he had never seen it from the ground.

"Ryuu."

"What?"

"His name was Lord Takae Ryuu."

Ryuuo's eyebrows shot up. "You knew him? Wow. You really know a lot of bigshots in this city."

"It's all coincidence."

"I guess you were on the losing side, if you knew Lord Ryuu?"

kanbei nodded slightly. "Kyuuzou had something to do with his death?"

"Rumor has it."

"How? Kyuuzou has a hard time hiding in a crowd."

Ryuuo shrugged. "Beats me. It's only rumor anyway."

'But one I will ask him about,' Kanbei thought to himself.

Ryuuo yawned again, making Kanbei want to yawn as well.

"I hate early morning shifts."

Kyuuzou was slowly recovering from the abuse, although his body did occasionally give some nervous twitches, memories of the pain. It had taken three days for the runes to slowly fade back to skin color, and even then they were still a little darker. 'I need SOMEthing to do. I looksuspicious enough as is without having work. But what?'

He walked slowly in the shadows, people's eyes flitting over him, barely registering his presence. He came across a group of samurai not unlike the one he had found Kanbei with, so he slowed down and listened to their conversation.

"i hear our Lord is looking for bodyguards. Do you think I could manage to get a post?"

"You? You're not observant enough."

"What's that supposed tomean!"

"You're also not good enough, martial arts wise."

"You all suck. so much."

The group laughed and continued on, and Kyuuzou turned towards the castle that he remembered far, far too well.


	12. Chapter 12

"you want to be apply for the opening?" an officer asked the man before him. As a reply, the man simply nodded. He didn't look like much. Not very imposing. Then again, it was hard to make our his exact features.

"There are a number of tests that you'll have to undergo to prove your skill, and then you'll be monitored to make sure that you will not try anything on our Lord."

The man nodded again.

"Very well. Come."

He led the man through the castle, though he was surprised at how the man seemed to already know where they were headed. They came to the main practice chamber, and were met by other candidates, who looked at the man beside him in a mixtureof curiosity and disdain. It appeared that they, too, felt that the man wouldn't last long.

"What is your name?" the officer asked him.

Kyuuzou looked around and noticed that none of the men were from the area, so none would know him nor his history.

"Kyuuzou."

The officer merely nodded and took down his name before approaching the front of the room.

"You are all here as potential bodyguards. However, before we hire you, we must see that you have enough skill to be judged worthy and competent enough to work for us. The tests will be hard, and will test your speed, strength, and cunning before we put the ones who pass all the tests into duels. Only the top finisher will be made a bodyguard. Now, there has been enough time wasted. You will be split into groups and each group will go through the tests in a different order. The placement is random so that all may have an equal chance at succeding. Good luck."

Kyuuzou was in a group of four people. The first challenge that they faced was the one testing speed and agility. Kyuuzou went last, since he thought it would be unfair to show all his skills too soon. He watched all the others go and dissaproved. So clumsy. When he finally went, the skill gap was quite obvious. The man who was leading them through the tests was impressed, and made note of Kyuuzou's effortless movements. One of their group was eliminated.

The next test they had wasof strength. While Kyuuzou knew that he didn't have the strength that some of the others in his group had, that didn't mean he wouldn't be able to do what was required of him. If he could cut through thick Nobuseri armor, he could most certinaly cut through the obstacles he faced. Again, the skill gap was quite obvious. Another of his group was dismissed.

The third test they faced was one of cunning and intellegence. Kyuuzou found the other warrior's progress almost laughable. Once again, the skill gap was painfully apparent. It was only Kyuuzou that was left at the end.

"You did very well," said the soldier who had led them through the tests, his voice tinged with awe and a little bit of envy.

Kyuuzou said nothing.

When the soldier brought Kyuuzou back to the main dojo, many of the others were surprised.

"you sure he didn't cheat?"

The soldier looked offended. "I know what is before my eyes, and he did _not_ cheat!"

The officer was still skeptical. "We'll see soon enough."

Once all the groups arrived, the officer spoke again. "You all have passed our rigorous standards; I congragulate you. However, now you must face each other. None of you have seen the other during the tests, so none of you know the other's styles. Duels will be held in seperate rooms so that there is no chance of cheating. It is direct elimination. I will call our names and room numbers. You will go there, and you will be judged by two of my officers. The first to draw blood wins. No killing allowed."

Kyuuzou was mildly annoyed by this. Some of the men present didn't deserve to be called samurai in his mind, so they should be removed from spreading their skills. Nevertheless, he would abide by the rules. He had to, if he wanted the job. He listened carefully and heard his name called along with a room number, and so went directly to it. He waited there with the officers until the other warrior(he didn't think most were worthy of the title of samurai) entered. Kyuuzou quickly looked the man over and sighed inwardly.

The man sneered at Kyuuzou, making note of his thin, girlish figure. Such a feminine man wasn't worth his time. He fell into a guard stance as the officers read the rules to them. Kyuuzou stood there, silent, focused. When asked if he was ready, he merely nodded, needing no words.

"Go!"

It was over in a heartbeat.

The warrior had had no time to react as Kyuuzou had moved across the room too quickly for him to follow. He was startled when he saw his sword hand fly off away from him, discovering that Kyuuzou was sudddenly behind him, sheathing his swords.

"Match goes to Kyuuzou!"

There was a short, angry silence from the warrior Kyuuzou had defeated before he lunged for Kyuuzou. Kyuuzou neatly sidestepped, and the warrior ended up having to roll tokeep himself from breaking his neck.

"BASTARD!"

Kyuuzou said nothing, but exited the room to wait in the main dojo again.

"He cut off my hand! That's against the rules!"

The officers lookede uncomfortable. "Actually, it isn't. He simply wasn't allowed tokill you. It said first blood or disarming the opponent. I didn't know he would take it so literally."

The other officer took the warrior away to have his arm bandaged and stop the bloodflow as the other officer waited in the room, thinking. That man...he was good. Very, very good.

The matches ended one after another, and Kyuuzou found that the ones he thought would win had actually done so. He had to face two other duels before the final. He swore not toexert himself too much. Not that he would anyway.

His name was called again, and he went to a different room this time, with judges who had not seen his skill before. The man he faced was wary of him. Good. He was read the rules again, and decided what he would do again.

"Go!"

He attacked, swinging one sword to the opposite of his sword arm, making his opponent block across his body. Kyuuzou then neatly cut off his hand at the wrist, and pushed him back into a wall.

It was over in less than a minute.

The judges were stunned again, and the man he had faced was in shock.

"Im-impossible! No one can be so fast!"he exclaimed hoarsely, holding his bleeding stump to his chest. Kyuuzou merely ignored him and walked out of the room to leave a medic, who had joined the group after witnessing the first few fights, to tend to the man he had disarmed.

Kyuuzou waited in the main dojo again until the other three warriors who were left joined him. They all looked tired, shirts soaked through. This wouldn't be too difficult. Too bad he wasn't tired at all. His name was called again, and he entered another room, the man he was going to fight following him. The two went seperate ways when they entered the room, and Kyuuzou found himself looking at a new group of judges. They had obviously seen the other warrior's skills before, judging from how they were looking at Kyuuzou. Kyuuzou would not underestimate this opponent. He should be better than the others he had fought. Kyuuzou stood in his typical, neutral stance, which puzzled the judges and made the warrior incredibly wary of Kyuuzou. No samurai did that unless they were sure of their skills or had a death wish. The judges reminded them of the rules, and checked their readiness.

"Go!"

Kyuuzou let his opponent move first this time.

He sidestepped the tired lunge and drew his sword too fast for anyone to register until the other warrior stumbled against the wall, his hand and sword at Kyuuzou's feet. Kyuuzou flicked the blood off his sword and left. Was no one here worthwhile?

The medic tended to the other warrior as everyone watched Kyuuzou leave, every one of them amazed and frightened of the silent enigma. Kyuuzou sat in the main dojo, and heard his final opponent come in. He looked up through half-lidded eyes, and observed the way the man walked. He was _tired._

"You two are the last. I congragulate you on making it to the final match."

Kyuuzou had been an assassin, yes, so he had no moral issues with killing a tired man, but as a samurai he felt the match would be laughable.

"This match won't be fair."

"What?"

Both men looked over to Kyuuzou, those being the first words he'd spoken since he gave his name. The other man looked irked.

"I'm a samurai and can more than take on the likes of you."

Kyuuzou wanted to sigh. "I'm not tired. You are."

"what? How many matches have you fought?"

"3."

"And you're not tired."

"They were no challenge."

"I'm sure I'll be more than enough of a challenge for you, even if I'm tired!"

Kyuuzou gave him a dry look. "Idiot."

"We're dueling! NOW!"

Kyuuzou said nothing.

The officer looked a little nervous. "The last battle will take place here. Remember, first blood or when disarmed. No killing allowed. Are you ready?"

Kyuuzou's opponent nodde vehemently, glaring daggers at Kyuuzou. Kyuuzou inclined his head slightly.

"Very well. I wish you both luck."

There was a pause as the officer looked between the two, nervous about the outcome.

"Go!"

The other man could just follow Kyuuzou's movements, and so managed to block both his swords. he did not count on Kyuuzou ducking and sweeping his feet out from under him before casually lopping off his sword hand.

"Match." Kyuuzou said coldly and sheathed his swords before walking over to the officer. The officer stared at him, but gained his composure and air of authority quickly.

"You've won, Kyuuzou. I congragulate you. What time can you start working?"

"Now."

"You have no belongings?"

"My swords."

"oh...well, then. I'll show you to your quarters. Our Lord is attending to business matters right now, but I will make sure to introduce him to you later."

The officer made certain that he walked beside Kyuuzou, and not in front of him, since he had gained a lot of respect for the slight man. As they walked, the officer explained what his duties would be and gave a brief description of the inner workings of the castle. He brought Kyuuzou to the room Kyuuzou would be using and left him there, saying that he'd come get him when their Lord was back from meetings.

Kyuuzou looked around at the furnishings and bristled. How had they POSSIBLY managed to put him here? HOW? Kyuuzou was sure that somewhere, some deity was laughing at its handiwork.

He had ended up in the same room he had been in last time he was here.


	13. Chapter 13

Kanbei didn't mind the routine he was given. It was better than wandering aimlessly, though it did lack the excitement that that brought. One day when he was on guard, he swore he saw a brief flash of a red coat turn a nearby corner, but when he looked discretly looked around it, he saw nothing but shadows. For the next several days after, he would see that brief splash of color at least once, and it was annoying him. Was he here or wasn't he? He didn't _feel_ Kyuuzou, but that annoying flutter of red every now and then was proof otherwise.

"Shimada-san, you've been kinda twitchy for a few days now. Why?" Ryuuo asked after observing Kanbei.

"It's nothing."

Ryuuo didn't believe him, but by the tone of Kanbei's voice, to ask further would be suicidal. the three soldiers that came to relieve Kanbei's group were all talking animatedly, perking Ryuuo's interest.

"What's up?"

"next week is our Lord's birthday, and he's celebrating it with two parties; one for the higher-ups and one for us."

"That'll definitly be keeping the servants busy."

"I feel sorry for his bodyguards, though. With so many people around, they'll be working overtime."

"Perhaps."

"I wonder who'll come to the bigwig party?"

"Who knows. i know I certainly won't!"

The other five men laughed, but Kanbei merely smiled faintly.

"Of course, there'll be guards on hand too. There HAVE to be."

"Who do you think he'll chose?"

"Shimada-san, of course. But who else?"

As the men debated, Kanbei was genuinely surprised that he had risen that high in their esteem. Ryuuo noticed his mildly puzzled expression and grinned. As he, Kanbei, and Kyo left the new guards to their post, Ryuuo laughed.

"Don't look so surprised, Shimada-san. People look up to you."

"Why? I've done nothing."

"Really now? You know, we just hired a new guard a few days ago. When he asked who you were and we told him, he spazzed. Said he couldn't believe someone like you would do something as menial as guard." Ryuuo grinned wolfishly. "He told us all about your exploits, Shimada-san. As commander, then as a ronin at Kanna Village."

Kanbei winced. So now they knew him here too. Would he never escape his fame?

"now, now, shimada-san. We've admired you before we heard the stories. You're level-headed, you know what you're doing, you're a good swordsman, you treat everyone equally. Even if you're no longer offically a commander, you still lead more than some of our officers do."

Kanbei gave up and simply offered a small smile. "I'm not someone to look up to. All I've ever fought have been losing wars."

"You're too hard on yourself, Shimada-san."

Kanbei shook his head. He split off from Ryuuo, his room being in the opposite direction and sighed. He hoped that word of this wouldn't reach the Lord. He didn't need the attention. He turned a corner and his senses sharpened. Someone was walking down the hallway that he hadn't seen around before. His back was to Kanbei, so kanbei couldn't make out any features. Then again, very little was distinct about this person. their clothes seemed to almost melt into the shadows, and their hair was either black, or covered by a hood. The person dissapeared down another corridor, and Kanbei relaxed a little.

'Who was that? He gave off the strangest ki I've ever felt.'

Slightly unnerved, Kanbei returned to his room. Things weren't going his way today. First the others had found out who he was, then he had a brief encounter with a person who made him nervous, and that was never good. What _else_ was going tohappen today?

All that anyone talked about for the days before the party _was_ the party, preperations for the party, speculation about who would guard, what would happen and who would come. Kanbei was amused by the enthusiasm, but was more than wary enough for everyone else. He knew that large occassions like this one would draw all sorts of asassins and plots. He prayed that whatever bodyguards his Lord had were top notch.

The day approached far too fast for Kanbei's liking, but he had long resigned himself to fate. The day of, Kanbei took his place in the main reception room, and sighed heavily. He watched the room slowly fill, and paid more attention to the surroundings than to the people, unlike the other guards. He figured there was enough attention on the dignitaries anyway, so they wouldn't try something. It was the people around them, the attendants that stood tothe side in shadows that were the potential threats. His Lord greeted all the dignitaries, and after exchanging some formalities, they all sat down for a small dinner that would be followed by a gathering in the courtyard to view the lunar eclipse that was to occur that night. Kanbei watched carefully, for his pride as a warrior would be wounded if he allowed anything tohappen to the person he was supposed to be protecting. The entire time the dinner was going on, Kanbei would have sworn that his Lord's shadow moved without him, and his Lord was more selective with foods than he was rumored to be. When the dinner was over and everyone began to filter outside, Kanbei was certain that his Lord's shadow wasn't only his shadow.

'Maybe one of the bodyguards.'

As he watched and left along with the others to set up around the perimeter of the enclosure, he saw another person join his Lord, who was on obviously familiar terms, but still respected the Lord. Most likely the other bodyguard. Idle, carefully mundane talk filtered around the garden before there was a gasp and everyone looked up as the lunar eclipse began.

Kanbei resisted the urge to do so as well, and instead kept watch of the surroundings. As assassination attempt would obviously wait for a time when no one was paying attention. The shadow slowly crept over the surface of the moon, darkening it until it was almost completly covered. However, the minute it reached total eclipse it glared a bright, blood red, and an abrupt silence decended. Kanbei heard the whistle of a dart too late to do anything. He saw the shadow that stuck close to his Lord reach out,catch it, then throw it right back where it had came from, all without anyone else even noticing. He also saw assassins sneak right by the other guards, but as he watched, he saw that the shadow disposed of them with quiet efficency. When totality passed and silver light peeked around the shadow, murmurs of both appreciation and apprehension broke out among those assembled. Everyone found a comfortable place to sit and began to compose lyrics, haiku, or simply reflected on what had passed. Kanbei saw the visible bodyguad berating the sentries quietly, and by his angry gestures told them to take the corpses away. Kanbei looked over to see if the shadow bodyguard was any more visible, and was dissapointed briefly. The shadow seemed to sense Kanbei's curiosity and turned to look at him. Kanbei's breath caught.

The bodyguard's eyes were glowing red as brightly as the moon had been.

The shadow turned away from Kanbei, and was again silently focused on the Lord.

The next day was the soldier's, servant's and all other employee's party. It was much different from what the dignitary's had been. Sake flowed freely, voices were loud, baudy tales were told, and all around gaeity was expressed, rather than propriety. When their Lord arrived, he was greeted with a hail of drunken voices, and he grinned at them all, seeming much more relaxed in their company.

Only Kanbei saw the shadow follow him. This time he was able to fully get a sense of the person, and he registered as familiar.

'He was the one I saw walking in the hallway a few days ago.'

He allowed himself to be distracted from worrying about much, and allowed himself to enjoy things for the first time in a long while.


	14. Chapter 14

Kanbei left Ryuuo's room after making sure the younger man was safely in bed and no longer a danger to himself. He walked slowly down the hallways, not paying any particular attention to where he was headed. It was nice, to relax everyone once in awhile. Being relaxed,though, and slightly less than sober made him a little dull to his surroundings, so he wasn't aware of the movements of the shadows behind him. He entered his room and sat on his bed with a sigh. This had been the most excitement he had seen in a while which, in a way, made him both happy and sad. It was good because he was getting older, but bad in that he was beginning to itch for excitement. He ran a hand part-way throughhis hair and looked out the window, simply enjoying the silence.

In the doorway was a darkness deeper than the shadows, and the faint outline of a humanoid figure could be roughly discerned. Hungry, waiting eyes took in Kanbei's profile, the way the light played on his features, and his movements. Just before Kanbei registered its presence, it stepped back and faded into the shadows.

Kanbei looked over his shoulder, mildly puzzled. he thought he had felt someone there briefly. he scanned the area carefully, but found no one, so blamed it on drink. He took off his indoor slippers and flopped back on his bed, and closed his eyes.

_Time and again you look in on him, and yet you do nothing. Why?_

That was a very, very good question, and one Kyuuzou had no definite answer to.

He sat behind the chair of the Lord he was serving under, and found it intensely ironic. He was protecting a person of the same line that he had killed. He couldn't stop a wry smile from touching his lips. He listened to the conversations with half a year while looking around. Everything was still the way he remembered. He still knew every passage within the building. It was pathetic that others hadn't found all of them. It was only when Kanbei's name came up that he paid attention to the conversation.

They were debating about promoting him to a post of officer. Kyuuzou knew that the man would hate it, but he too felt that he deserved it.

"Do it," he said softly, so that only the Lord heard it.

This was mildly startling, considering Kyuuzou rarely ever spoke, so his opinon held a little more weight, and so decided the situation.

Kanbei was to be promoted.

Kyuuzou couldn't suppress a small smile. This meant that Kanbei would have a room to himself, away from the majority of the men.

Which was fortunate.

Kyuuzou watched over his Lord until his Lord retired for the night. Kyuuzou then allowed the other bodyguard to take over. He turned a corner, then dissapeared into a secret passageway which would cut his travel time to the soldier's wing in half. He stepped out into the hallway where Kanbei's room was situated, and saw his door open, people talking animatedly at him as he prepared to move.

It was unexpected, for Kanbei, and very much unwelcome. Those he had come to befriend and know well weren't surprised though, and rather glad for him.

"Now we get to see the _real_ extent of your skills, Shimada-san."

Kanbei gave those gathered a wry smile. "You make moreof my skills than they are."

Kyo gave a disbeliving snort. "Not many people can take on Kyuuzou and survive."

"He let me live. I was fully expecting him to kill me." _But he came back for me._

"That's depressing to think about. Let's talk about something else."

Kyuuzou walked over tothe door and took off the hood to his cloak, and let the shadows simply hang about his shoulders, hiding most of his body beneath their folds. He saw Kanbei look up, feeling his presence, and watched as he discreetly looked around. Kanbei's eyes eventually wandered over to the doorframe and caught Kyuuzou's. After Kyuuzou was certain that Kanbei had registered who he was, he turned, pulled up the hood to his shadow cloak and walked away.

Kanbei didn't see Kyuuzou for a few days, even though he wanted to ask the younger man quite a few questions. He was kept busy, though, as he adapted to the new roles he was expected to fill. One night, about a week ;later, Kanbei was sitting on the floorof his room, looking over some recently gathered information, and frowned. The problem that the report spoke of would have to be taken care of soon, lest it gather too much backing and spiral out of control.

"What would you do?"

"I don't know enough yet. This information gives only a sketch. I need more indepth intellegence before I can decide anything."

He had felt someone enter a while ago, but had paid it no attention. It wasn't a threatening presence afterall,and now that he heard the one who had entered speak, he knew he was in no danger.

"I have quite a few questions I'd like answered."

He felt Kyuuzou wait, ready to answer, but not always in the way Kanbei would like.

"I've heard it said you had something to do with the death of Lord Ryuu. Is this true?"

"Yes."

"How? Lord Ryuu was a very careful man, and you tend to stand out. How'd you manage?"

There was a long pause, and Kanbei guessed that Kyuuzou was trying to either find a way to avoid answering, or finding the best way to answer. He only barely managed to catch a nearly inaudible sigh, and a murmured, "Only because it's you asking" before Kyuuzou said in his normal voice, "Come."

Kanbei turned and saw Kyuuzou standing in frontof a now-open hidden doorway. Once he saw Kanbei find him, he entered the passageway and began toguide Kanbei through a myriad of hidden pathways that had been obviously unused for a while from how much dust he and Kyuuzou were kicking up as they walked. Kyuuzou stopped and pulled back a curtain and pushed out whatwas behind the curtain, opening up a doorway. He exited, and Kanbei followed, the door closing silently behind him. They walked down a hallway that hadn't seen much human movement in some time.

"This was the women's quarters."

Kanbei didn't fully understand the significance of the remark, but that would explain the lack of life. Not many women lived in this Lord's household,save daughters, a wife, and the Lord's mother. They abruptly left the dim hallway into a cleaner, better lit one, the contrast jarring. Kyuuzou opened a door and entered, and Kanbei followed,and closed the door behind him. He watched as Kyuuzou set his swords down and pried up a tatami mat, revealing a small compartment beneath.

"You want to know how I killed Ryuu."

"Yes."

"Watch."

Kyuuzou pulled out a few objects from the compartment, but Kyuuzou's room was surprisingly dim for how well lit the hallways were, so Kanbei couldn't make them out.

Kyuuzou took off the cloak that seemed more shadow than cloth, then removed his trenchcoat. He pulled off his chest brace, then the shirt beneath it, leaving his top bare to Kanbei's approving eyes. Kyuuzou picked up a piece ofcloth and wrapped it around his chest, before shrugging on a yutaka. A heavier piece of clothing went on over that, to be tied tightly around his waist by a sash. Kyuuou knealt, and did something that Kanbei couldn't quite make out before Kyuuzou stood, back still to him.

"It isn't exactly the same, but you'll understand. Open the door."

Kanbei turned and did so, letting a flood of light in before turning again to look at Kyuuzou.

If the eyes had not been the same, Kanbei would have believed he was looking at an entirely different person.

Kyuuzou knew that not even Kanbei would be able to see how badly he was shaking, because while it felt obvious to him, he knew that his training and pride wouldn't have it known toanyone else. So many memories! and none of them pleasent. He felt like he was suffocating,and that Kanbei's presence, which he usually ignored or simply acknowledged, suddenly felt malign.

'No,no, Kyuuzou. This is not all those years ago. And he is not Ryuu.'

"Understand?" he heard himself say is his usual non-chalant, flat, emotionless voice.

Kanbei nodded. Kyuuzou turned again and quickly divested himself of both the shameful memories and the clothes. It was only when he had wiped his face clean and shoved everything back into the hole he had taken him from did the tension and the memories fade.

Kyuuzou led Kanbei silently back to Kanbei's quarters and the door closed behind Kanbei, fading into the wall so completly that Kanbei would never have guessed it was there. Once he was certain Kyuuzou was nowhere near, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"I don't believe myself. I fell for the same person twice."

He picked up the discarded papers and placed them in a drawer of a desk he had been given.

"Still, that's a credit to Kyuuzou's skills. That he would fool such a good samurai into thinking..." he shook his head in amusement. "Well, that settles more than one question. I finally found out why I kept on feeling that I knew his name, his ki, from somewhere before we fought."

Author: You must excuse me for being vauge. Because the other story that chronicles Kyuuzou and his previous experiences in this particular setting is not finished yet, I _must_ be vauge. If you read that story and then come back to this chapter, you'll understand. Sorry for the out-of-order-ness.


	15. Chapter 15

_I will not tolerate any more laziness from you._

Kyuuzou winced as he felt the runes burn down his spine.

_We made a pact. _

No, we didn't. I escaped and fought against you, and for some reason you decided that you would ressurect me.

The demon hissed in anger in his mind and Kyuuzou gasped as he felt the scabs that had grown over the bullet wounds beginning to fall off, blood trickling down his chest.

_You're right. I did ressurect you. and I can drag you right back to the afterlife if I so desire. You don't have to walk among the living to be of service to me._

Kyuuzou held his tounge, though he desperatly wanted to yell at the demon. It was the first time he wanted to do so to anyone.

I am willing to do almost anything, so long as I remain among the living.

_Then kill Shimada Kanbei._

**NO!**

The demon was surprised at Kyuuzou vehemenace. He had never felt the man so focused, so angry.

I will never do so.

_You dare disobey me?_

Kyuuzou didn't even flinch underneath the pain that began to pulsate throughhis entire body. He merely sat on the floor of the room and slowly withdrew inwards, protecting himself by distancing himself. It had worked before, and was working again. No matter what kind of pain the demon threw at him, Kyuuzou sat silently on the floor, eyes cold and unseeing. It took half of day of this constant torture to finally make the demon stop, impressed at how Kyuuzou had even served as a bodyguard through it all.

The transition from pain to none was more jarring than the way it had started, the only indication of this being a slight hitch in Kyuuzou's step as he followed his Lord.

_Your perseverence amuses me. I will have Shimada's life though, no matter what you want._

Try it.

This made the demon laugh, while Kyuuzou thought for a moment.

I don't want to serve you anymore.

_You have no choice. Without the energy I give you, you can't survive._

But if I found another way of getting that energy, i wouldn't have to serve you.

The demon became wary. Something was going through the assassin's head.

_Perhaps._

Give me a fortnight to find a way of substitution. after that...

_You do what I want._

It was a reluctant agreement, but one Kyuuzou had to accept, otherwise he wouldn't have any chance of ridding himself of the demon. He felt a searing on the back of his left hand, and the demon whispered

_That wll tell you how long you have left. When it's all dissapeared, you're **mine**._

It was very late, and all the lights were off in the main practice room, but as Kanbei passed it on his way back from having dinner with the soldiers(he found the company more desireable) he heard the singing of swords cutting through air. He walked over and looked through the door. There. Movement within the shadows. As he watched, he smiled faintly. Only one person fought as beautifully as if he were dancing. Kanbei walked into the room and was stopped short by a swordpoint at his throat. He gave Kyuuzou a wry smile, and the blonde lowered both sword and the hood to his cloak.

"You're practicing late."

There was a pause,and then an answer: "It keeps me distracted."

"From what?"

Kyuuzou didn't know why he answered truthfully; he assumed it was because the pain he had recently experienced and how hard he was trying to figure out how to find a way to get himself free of the demon made his tolerance for secrecy negligable.

"You."

"Really?"

Kyuuzou couldn't read Kanbei's voice correctly, and so was wary.

Kanbei approached, and Kyuuzou sheathed his swords. He didn't _feel_ like he was going to do anything dangerous, so Kyuuzou didn't feel threatened. Until he discovered that the older man was close. Perhaps a little too close.

"I've been distracted by you, too."

'What?'

"I have two theories as to what what you said to me means. 'I came back _for your sake', _or 'I came back _to be with you'. _Which is right?"

There was a long pause, but Kanbei was patient enough to wait for the answer.

"Both," came the reluctant reply.

"I see."

The two men looked at each other for a long moment, each thinking fairly similar thoughts.

"Out of curiostiy, did you recognize me when we fought for the first time?"

Kyuuzou's eyes gave only a hint of a malign smirk. "Yes."

an idea popped into Kanbei's mind, and there was noharm in asking, "would you mind gathering information for me on the developing situation? If you were good enough to fool so many before and your skills have only grown, I'm certain such a small thing wouldn't be too difficult."

Kyuuzou nodded almost imperceptably,and turned to leave. Kanbei caught Kyuuzou's wrist and brought him roughly to him, making Kyuuzou's eyes wary.

Kanbei leaned down and gently kissed the younger man. "Thank you."

He let Kyuuzou's wrist go, and both of them went their seperate ways.

Kyuuzou sat in the shadows of his room, slightly dazed. What had he felt then? He replayed the moment in his head again, still searching for an answer.

When he had been kissed by Kanbei, it had been as if all the pain, all presence of the leash the demon had on him, dimmed to almost nothing. He had felt as if he was the only onein control of his actions. But what did that mean? Was Kanbei the key to freeing him of his tie tothe demon?

'Back up. What?'

Kyuuzou played with that idea, examining it closely.

So. Kanbei was the deciding factor of his fate. Whether he lived or died determined what course Kyuuzou's life could take.

But _why?_ Why did it feel so...relaxing, so...pleasureable just to be in his presence,let alone to have even vaugely intimate contact. He felt that to better understand that, he'd have to understand what the demon meant by how to replace the energy given to him via their link. Kyuuzou took off his gloves, and looked at the runes that played beneath his skin.

He _must_ understand them.

He slowly shut out every other sense save his sight, and concentrated fully on making out what the mechanism was that was described in the script. With agonizing slowness, he could make out bits and pieces, then phrases, then sentences. He committed every phrase, every detail to memory, before shaking himself awake, pulling away from single-minded concentration back to reality.

It was dawn. It had been a little after dusk when he had started. Very well. He had the day to think it over. He stood and streached, then picked up his swords, threw on his cloak and left the room. He met the other guard outside of the Lord's room, and nodded to him. He could go rest now. The other guard stood and walked past Kyuuzou,who sat down next to the door. When the guard turned to look back, he could barely see Kyuuzou's outline, Kyuuzou nearly dissapeaering completly into the shadows.

The topic of that day was the brewing insurrection. The only information that their spies were bringing in was general; no one could seem to get their hands on any more detailed stuff. Kyuuzou saw his chance both to be of service to Kanbei and to get away from the Lord he was serving. The man was quite capable of trying Kyuuzou's patience.

"I'll go."

"What?" his Lord asked, startled. Kyuuzou rarely ventured to do anything helpful aside from keeping him alive. "You certain that your partner can take care of me himself?"

Kyuuzou nodded slightly.

"Be back by this time tomorrow. Hopefully you will have more information than others have."

Kyuuzou nodded slightly, stood, and left, silently melting into the shadows.

It didn't take Kyuuzou long to find,and then follow, whispers of the insurrection. True, it had been slightly harder than he had thought it would be, which was a testament to the skill of whomever was running the program, but it was still far too easy.

'People have become sloppy, in this new age.'

He found a group covertly walking along, caught abit of their conversation, and then followed them. Once again, the leader of the group showed that he had more intellegence than most; rather than picking a secluded area. he had chosen one of the busiest sections of the city to found his group. Kyuuzou slunk in through an alternate entrance/exit he found after a few minutes of looking, and then followed the more sedate voices. He knew that the loud,excited ones were probably new to the group; those would be useless. The calmer ones belonged to those who were already deep in the intrigue; _those_ wouldprove helpful. He stuck close tothe shadows, nothing giving away his presence. In the past, he had learned to smother, even change, his aura, and that skill was proving useful now. He slunk along, wandering deep into the building. He finally came across a room that was secluded,but heavily guarded against intrustion. Its walls were too thick to hear through, there was only one entrance which was heavily guarded, no ventilation shafts in the ceiling, and no secret passages.

Too bad it wasn't shadow-proof.

He waited until people began to congregate, and slipped into the shadow of a person entering and slid into the darkest corner possible as soon as he was inside. He wrapped the shadows about him tightly, so that only the faintest glimmer of his eyes would be visible to someone whoknew what to look for, as he knew most people would not. And even if they _did_ find him, he was good enough to make a quick escape.

'And it's not like I can die through normal means,'he thought to himself.

As he watched, the room slowly filled,Kyuuzou recognizing quite a few people from the days of the war, people who had been clients of his. Others he did not know. But the one who they all stood for, he recognized very, very well.

'I hadn't thought he'd stay around here.'

"Toshiyo-sama," was the general murmured greeting to the man as he entered. He looked remarkably like his older brother, Genma, who had run the assassin ring Kyuuzou had been a part of. Toshiyo and Genma had been many years apart in age; Toshiyo was about Kyuuzou's age. He hadn't known what his beloved older brother did for a living until after Genma had died. Kyuuzou could only imagine what a shock that must have been. Kyuuzou leaned comfortably against the wall,and waited. If he remembered correctly, Toshiyo was a charismatic speaker, intellegent, but very hot-tempered. He wondered if he had stayed the same as he grew. The minute Toshiyo began speaking, Kyuuzou knew that this Toshiyo was the same as he remembered.

Kyuuzou listened intently, and absorbed every word of the conversation that followed:

Toshiyo smiled cheerily and encouragingly at all those assembled, greeting each by name. He bid them all to sit and relax, and then began to speak on the situation at hand:

"Things are moving swiftly along. We have agents in almostevery organization in this city who tell us what those people know of us and confuse the information, so that everyone is chasing a different, false lead. However, we know every move of theirs. Our supply of goods is steadily growing to the point we need it, while we are slowly gaining popularity and support among the people. Things are going very well indeed." the pride and satsifaction in Toshiyo's voice pleased those present, but his demenor abruptly became more serious.

"There is just one thing I need to know; I have heard that a specific person of interest has returned to this city. Have you found him?"

"No,Toshiyo-sama, we have been unable to locate him."

"That's too bad. Please keep on looking." Only Kyuuzou could read the deep undercurrent of anger in those words, while most only read the dissapointment. "Well,we'll leave that until later. Have we had any success in infiltrating the Castle?"

"Once more, Toshiyo-sama,I regret to report that we have made no progress. The Lord seems to have a sixth sense for traitors and spies. He reviews all those that are to be employed close to him, and dismisses all that we plant."

Toshiyo frowned. "I did not think he was so intellegent. Rumor had it that while he was good with business, he lacked common sense."

"However, those who were dismissed did bring some interesting news. You remember how he used to have a bodyguard near him at all time?"

"Yes."

"It seems that he doesn't anymore, or, when he does, it's only during the night and special occassions."

Toshiyo smiled ferally. "Good. He's getting complacent. But, enough of this. Continue our efforts. In the meantime, we have other matters to discuss."

"Yes, Toshiyo-sama."

Toshiyo gave those assembled a dazzling smile which made them smile back.

"So, let's see. Has someone created a detailed map of the city?"

"The map is almost completed. But, Toshiyo-sama..."

"Yes?"

"The men are afraid to go into the Yuurei district."

Toshiyo frowned. "I do not remember a district called that."

"Oh, I'm sorry Toshiyo-sama. You might remember it as Kakusareta district."

"Why is it now called 'Yuurei'?"

"Because it is said that that district is haunted by the ghosts of the assassins and all those they killed. Very few people live within two blocks of the house that the assassins were based out of."

"I see. Then I will go."

"Toshiyo-sama!"

Toshiyo held up his hand for silence. "They will not harm me. And perhaps they can tell me where the one I seek is. But that is for later. Tell me, what supplies do we still need?"

"It depends on how Toshiyo-sama wants to go about seizing control."

"No guns."

"But that would make things so much easier!"

"_No guns._"

The way Toshiyo spoke those words silenced all objections.

"The only supply we need more of now is manpower."

"That can only be accomplished by campaigning. But we cannot afford to expose ourselves now. We must continue advancing our cause quietly, gaining the support of any samurai that comes into our city. Make certain that _we_ get to him before the Lord or any other employers do. Convince them of our stance before their minds are polluted."

He gave a reassuring smile that assuaged all their fears. "Do not worry, my friends! Soon, all our efforts will pay off, and the samurai will regain their rightful place in society! We will prove our worth and prowress beyong any doubts, reclaim our heritage, and upset the new regiem that seeks to oppress and belittle us! Do not falter now, when victory is coming close at hand."

The enthusiasm that this generated in those at hand was intense, and everyone left the meeting in good spirits, to go about doing what Toshiyo had requested, leaving Toshiyo and Kyuuzou alone in the room together, Kyuuzou still observing the man with mild interest.

Toshiyo sighed. If only he could find that _bastard_, he'd feel everything he was doing was more than worth the effort.

"I will avenge you, brother. Then you will rest in peace."

Toshiyo drew his sword and slashed the candle that lit the room, it tumbling into the small opening that was filled with the wax that dripped from it, and the candle sputtered out.

"I _will_ kill him!" Toshiyo snarled into the darkness. After that moment of rashness, he regreted his decision, for now he was lost in complete darkness. He looked around and started. He thought he had seen two glowing red orbs hanging in the darkness, but when he looked again, they were gone, but he was still left unnerved. Had something else been in the room with him when the meeting was going on?

"Nonsense. Nothing could have gotten in without my noticing."

He walked carefully,and found a wall, before letting his hand run over it. He finally came tothe door and squinted as it he opened it, his eyes painfully adjusting tothe sudden light. As he was blinded, he never saw the shadow seperate from his own and dissapear down the corridor.


	16. Chapter 16

Author: LOOK! LOOK! AN UPDATE! also, i need help. I've tried to find ways to distinguish paragraphs, but I've failed. be kind and assist in creating easier reading for you guys.

Kyuuzou spent the remainder of that day and far into the night learning the layout of the hideout inside-out. It was only when he saw dawn coming in through the window did he leave. He wanted to report all this to Kanbei first, before giving a more brief version to the man he claimed to be serving. He slipped inside a secret entrance and wound his way to Kanbei's quarters. He entered Kanbei's room silently, and the man he was looking for was in an exhuasted sleep, papers and reports scattered around him. Kyuuzou stood in the shadows, looking at him for a long moment, thinking. He'd come back later, to both claim a reward for doing as Kanbei had asked, and to tell him all he had learned. The door closed silently behind Kyuuzou, and Kanbei never stirred in his sleep.

Kyuuzou wrote sucintly what he had learned from his reconicance and handed it to his Lord when he relieved the other bodyguard from duty. He took up his usual position in the Lord's shadow and waited as his Lord read his report.

"You did very well, Kyuuzou. You amaze me."

"...it is nothing."

"Nothing! You've just helped me immensley. I am very glad that you are employed _for_ me and not against me!"

His Lord called a meeting of his most trusted officers(Kanbei was not yet among these) and explained the situation as was discovered by Kyuuzou. Ideas were bounced around, much talking was done, and Kyuuzou listened with half an ear, while alert otherwise. He caught movement and stared at it, until he figured out what it was.

He moved faster than almost anyone could follow. The spy certainly did not know what hit him. Kyuuzou cleaned his swords on the dead man's clothing and walked back to his Lord,and took up his place in the shadows again, ignoring the looks from the officers and the servants who cleaned up the body. Kyuuzou had taken the tape recorder off the dead body, just in case one of the servants was turncoat. The meeting started again, haltingly at first, but then gaining steam. His Lord and the officers talked for hours, until a decision was finally reached. It would be _they_ who attacked before Toshiyo's group. His Lord attended to smaller mattersafter that, dealing with rouges and taxes, theatre troops that wished to preform, trade routes, and other things that bored Kyuuzou. The sun set, and Kyuuzou was relieved.

He headed straight to Kanbei.

He was awake this time, and sharpening his blade. The order had come down to them earlier, and Kanbei wanted to be as ready as possible. He hated to admit it, but he was ready for this action. More than ready. The information about exactly who they were fighting was unclear, but Kanbei could understand why. Some soldiers might be going up against friends,and it was best to keep them in the dark until it was too late. Simply tell them that the ones they were fighting were enemies, and threats to the people and the peace that they were supposed to ensure. Kanbei barely felt Kyuuzou enter, and turned towards the secret passage. The blonde was standing there, and slowly stepped in, taking off his hood and cloak.

"I have much to tell you."

Kanbei nodded and settled down. Kyuuzou took a pen and paper from his desk and sat down next to Kanbei. From there, he began to draw a map. As he drew, he explained what he had heard,learned and found in his exploration of the hideout. It was the most Kanbei had ever heard him talk. True, the sentences were short and tothe point, but Kanbei expected no less. He _was_ impressed by the depth of information Kyuuzou was able to glean in so short a time.

"and you are certain all this information is correct?"

"Yes."

Kanbei carefully folded the paper and put it in a pocket of his uniform. He turned to face the blonde and found that the careful distance between them was gone. Kyuuzou kissed Kanbei briefly,then pulled away,almost hurridely. He was certain now. There was no mistake.

"Shimada Kanbei."

Kanbei had rarely heard the silent warrior ever say his full name, least of all to his face.

"Yes, Kyuuzou?"

"I have a favor to ask."

This perked Kanbei's interest. "And that is?"

Kyuuzou looked a little uncomfortable, which madeKanbei even more interested.

"It takes explaining."

"I'm in no hurry."

Kyuuzou thought, trying to find the best way to explain the situation, and figured out a way after a brief moment of thought. He took off his gloves,cloak, and coat, before pulling off his chest brace and allowing his shirt to fall around his waist.

He then proceeded to unleash his frustration on the demon, calling him all sorts of insults that had built up inside Kyuuzou that he had left unsaid.

As Kanbei watched, puzzled, his eyes widened as glaring blood-red script bloomed on Kyuuzou's torso, arms, and neck. He saw the blonde's body vibrating in pain, and when he touched Kyuuzou's shoulder, he found that the contrast between cool skin and hot, burning script jarring.

"Kyuuzou..."

Kyuuzou was content after he had run out of insults for the demon, and even though the pain was intense, Kanbei's touch numbed the area where his fingers contacted, relieving him of a little of the agony. He looked slowly upand caught Kanbei's eyes. Kyuuzou took a deep, shuddering breath.

"This...is the price I pay. For being able to live, I serve. I do not want to serve _this_ master. Kanbei..." Kyuuzou's voice became thick with pain, but with his hands, he managed to draw his swords. He flipped them so that they both faced one direction, and held them out to Kanbei.

"I...Want..." Kyuuzou's body shuddered, but his face betrayed none of the pain. "To...Se...serve..." He took a ragged breath, and his throat worked until he finally managed to speak again, "You."

Kanbei was stunned. He had expected many things out of the samurai before him, but not this. Kyuuzou wasn't simply pledging himself to a cause on a whim, for a limited time. This was utter, total,lifelong devotion to whatever cause Kanbei chose to support, to protecting him, to going where he went, to watching over and being with him until Kanbei's last breath. If Kanbei agreed, he'd never be able to get rid of the man before him. He thought for a long moment, and Kyuuzou waited, enduring the physical pain, which was much less than the emotional pain would be if Kanbei said no.

"Very well."

Kanbei placed his hands beneath Kyuuzou's, and Kyuuzou let him take his swords, and with them, his life. Kyuuzou felt his bond to the demon begin to fray, and so the pain he was experiencing lessened.

"Now,tell me who I bought you from."

Kyuuzou gave Kanbei a tiny, tired smile, and began his tale from the moments after he died.

It took an entire night to tell.

Author: Okay, here's my question. Do you guys want this next chapter to be a kind of remind-you-of-everything-that-happened-before-this chapter? or do you want it to simply continue the storyline. Because I'm up for doing either. It'll remind me,too, of where I've come from and what I've been meaning to do. It's up to you guys.


	17. Chapter 17

Author: i was writing the re-cap, and found that Kyuuzou is a very bad storyteller. THerefore, we're just moving along with the story, and if you've forgotten what's happened before...well, go back and read the story. bbbb

Kyuuzou left a silent Kanbei in the pre-dawn light, nothaving been able to read the older man as he told his story. He could only hope that Kanbei would believe him.

---

Kanbei stood and stretched.

Deals with demons.

If he hadn't seen the markings, seen the shocking pain in Kyuuzou's eyes, saw how Kyuuzou's eyes glowed slightly as the night deepened until they were the only part of Kyuuzou visible in the shadows, if he didn't know that Kyuuzou told nothing but the truth, he wouldn't have believed him. There was more he wanted to know from Kyuuzou, but from how exhausted the man appeared, he knew that he was running on nothing, mentally and physically. But still! He now had a highly posessive, protective, skilled, half-demon claiming him as a master. As the only one he'd truly serve. Thankfully, though, both of them would be kept relatively busy, so he'd have more time to consider what he had gotten himself into. True, he didn't mind the one condiition that Kyuuzou had told him. It wasn't too much of a sacrifice.

_Near the end of his tale, Kyuuzou had stopped, and looked at Kanbei with hesitation in his eyes._

_"There is one thing that a demon needs to keep active."_

_Kanbei had waited._

_"I need a little bit of your ki."_

_"Oh? How much is a little bit?"_

_"The amount it takes for you to make that second sword of yours that just happens to appear when convienent."_

_"I see..."_

_There had been a silence. _

_"I don't see that being a problem. How often do you need this?"_

_"Once every two days."_

_"That's all?"_

_Kyuuzou had nodded, and Kanbei thought. _

_"Very well. That's not too bad."_

_Kanbei thought he had seen Kyuuzou's shoulders relax, but the younger man was always so hard to read that he couldn't be certain._

As Kanbei prepared for the day, he didn't know he was smiling softly. It would be good to get to know the younger man. It is always good to have someone who understands what you've gone through near. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to draw out the man underneath Kyuuzou's jaded exterior.

---

Kyuuzou was happy for the first time in a very, very long time. Actually, it wasn't so much _happy_ as _relieved_, but for him it fell under 'happy'. Though he wasn't quite sure what the sensation of happiness was. His childhood hadn't nessacarily been anywhere near "normal". But his body felt his own again, his mind felt his own again. The symbol that had been put on him as a sign of how much time he had left had melted off him as soon as he was away from Kanbei. He was now serving the man he wanted to, he was his own person again, and was expecting to have a little bit of activity for his skills.

'I wonder if I could get Kanbei to train with me...'

The day passed quickly, preparations being made for the confrontation with the insurrection.

Kyuuzou's day was profitable. He desposed of two spies and one assassin. Everyone was so sloppy!

Or was it just that there was no more challenge for his skills?

He refused to believe that. There _must_ be someone out there who would be a challenge to his skills. He didn't mind perfection for perfection's sake, but he still wanted to know that those skills he honed would be useful. Kyuuzou was sent to rest around midday.

"Since you know the layout best, and since you seem tobe able toget in _anywhere_, I think that you should lead some of my men."

Kyuuzou had simply replied, "I am not an officer."

The Lord had understood. Kyuuzou would lead them intothe building, but would then let those more suited to commanding the men take over. Kyuuzou would then return to be by the Lord's side,even though he wanted to remain by Kanbei. He knew, however, that Kanbei was more than capable of taking care of himself, while the Lord was not. Kyuuzou fell into a half-dozing state, resting his body and mind. He could still faintly hear the demon's thoughts, which was disconcerting, since they were laced with frustration and anger, which is not condusive to rest.

He awoke at midnight to a deathly quiet castle, everyone but those on guard-shift deep asleep. Kyuuzou stood and quickly turned, his swords unsheathed, one placed at the throat of the ghost that stood behind him.

It seems you never can escape this place.

Neither can you, if you're still dwadling around here.

and why do you think that is? It _was_ in this room that I died.

And I'm glad I caused it.

Lord Ryuu gave Kyuuzou a smirk. You told me as I laid dying that you'd never touch another man as I forced youto do to me. It seems like you were lying.

Kyuuzou's eyes snarled and he pressed the point of his sword into Ryuu's neck, making the ghost gasp.

Unlike others, I _can_ kill you.

Impossible! How...?

You called me a demon as I watched the life slowly seep out of your body. You were right.

Before Ryuu could absorb that remark, Kyuuzou cut his neck, sending the ghost into the darkness of the Nether-realmns. Kyuuzou took a few deep breaths, regaining his self-control, his eyes slowly taking on their usual non-chalant cast. Before he went to the Lord, he had one person to visit.

---

Kanbei was surprised that he could feel Kyuuzou coming long before the blonde entered his room, so he was prepared when Kyuuzou entered.

"Yes?"he asked as Kyuuzou came in through the secret entrance.

Kyuuzou seemed unsurprised that the older man could tell he was coming, and walked over to Kanbei.

"Do not forget. I am yours."

"So if I need you, you'll drop everything and come to me?"

Kyuuzou nodded, which surprised Kanbei. "I thought you served the Lord?"

"No. I am _employed_ by him. I serve only you."

Kanbei gave a wry smile, and gently brushed his fingers against Kyuuzou's face. "You need to be strong if you're going to protect me," he murmured, and kissed Kyuuzou. Kanbei felt a small tug on his conciousness and understood that to be Kyuuzou taking some of his ki. They parted, and Kanbei could have sworn that Kyuuzou's eyes had briefly taken on a more brown color, but he assumed that was a trick of the moonlight.

"Do not forget."

"I won't."

Kyuuzou melted into the shadows, and Kanbei sighed. He felt a little lightheaded, but he assumed that it would pass. He sat down on his pallet, and could almost taste Kyuuzou on his lips. This was enough...for now. When things were quiet again, he'd pursue Kyuuzou's affections, which, while already there, needed to be drawn out. But that was a peacetime activity. With this...raid...coming in the morning, he'd have other things to think about. He laid back down, and resolutely closed his eyes for a few more hours of sleep, even though Kyuuzou's scent still lingered nearby.

---

Kyuuzou took a select group of soldiers and hid them in the shadows with him, waiting until the main group began to ambush those who were part of the insurrection. When that conflict was in full swing,he led the group in one of the more obscure entrances and led them straight to where the most secret, inner workings took place. He left them to their interrogations and intellegence snooping, and slipped away, back to where the Lord was observing everything taking place.

The Lord watched with satsifaction as those who would have challenged his rule were either killed or captured. He was close to gloating, but would not allow himself, for if he did, he risked missing an important detail. Kyuuzou tensed, and took off his shadow cloak, and threw it around the Lord and the other bodyguard.

"Guard him."

Kyuuzou's voice left no room for argument, so the other bodyguard slunk into the shadows and took up a guard stance, the Lord held close within the folds of the shadows, melting into the darkness. Kyuuzou turned and walked into the fray,heading towards one area. There was Kanbei...and Toshiyo, who he was battling.

---

The men unconciously parted around him as Kyuuzou walked slowly, purposefully towards where the thinnest fighting was. A circle of soldiers had formed around two figures within, subdued insurgents laying bound at their feet. The soldiers saw Kyuuzou and tensed. There was something...wrong...about the man approaching.

"Who are you?" one soldier demanded, only a slight tremor in his voice betraying his unease.

"Kyuuzou."

The battle inside the circle suddenly stopped, both combatants frozen by the sound of Kyuuzou's voice. Kyuuzou stepped through the ring of soldiers, out into the open area surrounding Kanbei and Toshiyo. Toshiyo's muscles began to quiver, and his eyes snapped in anger, even as his breath came in ragged gasps.

"_YOU_!" The man snarled, and Kyuuzou regarded him evenly, nothing betraying his emotions. "_I'LL KILL YOU!"_ he snarled and lunged, but Kanbei's sword blocking his way brought him up short.

"You forget who your oponent is," Kanbei said carefully.

Toshiyo gave Kanbei a baleful look. "I will kill you if you continue to block my path to that...creature." Toshiyo spit out the last word, his eyes focusing back on Kyuuzou's dull, expressionless countenance.

Kanbei was about to retort, when Kyuuzou spoke.

"Remember what he told you as he died."

Toshiyo had no question about who the 'he' was, and bristled, even as his mind turned to that moment.

_Toshiyo ran over to the man lying on the floor, and ignored the blood as it stained and seeped through the cotton socks he wore when in the building._

_"Older brother!"_

_He had picked up his brother by the shoulders, supporting his neck and back, and was relieved a little when Genma's eyes opened._

_"Toshiyo..."_

_"Brother! Who did this to you? There's no one that can beat you! No one can injure you like this! How? Who!"_

_Genma gave Toshiyo a small,wavering smile. _

_"You are contemplating revenge."_

_"Yes! Noone should be able to do this to you and remain unpunished!"_

_Genma had mearely shook his head. _

_"No. He is too strong,will always be too strong. I was expecting this, anyway. I am surprised it took him so long."_

_"What?" Toshiyo was stunned. Genma had known this would happen?_

_"It is his nature. He will always...try to be better...to defeat all who would challenge his skill...since the day he returnedf rom Ryuu's castle, I knew I would be unable to beat him. I am...proud...I survived as long as I did." Genma had then looked up at his younger, tearful brother,and wiped away a stray tear. "Do not hate him for his nature."_

_"at least tell me his name!"_

_Genma pointed to the roster on the wall. "First name, top right column."_

_Toshiyo had gently laid his brother down and walked over, and examined the names through the stains of blood that had been flicked onto the parchment from the battle._

_"Kyuuzou..." he read aloud. "Is that who hurt you so badly?" Toshiyo turned to find confirmation, and gasped as he saw that Genma was utterly still, his robe soaked through._

Toshiyo had made a promise that day, and he had resolved to fulfill it at allcosts.

"No! I will never forgive you for taking away the person who had mattered the most!"

Kanbei wondered briefly what had happened between the two of them, and looked at Kyuuzou. The glance they shared had Kanbei removehis sword from Toshiyo's path, but keep it naked in his hand. Kyuuzou unsheathed his swords, drawing Toshiyo's attention to him. Toshiyo gave Kyuuzou a grim, manic smile and charged, yelling. Kyuuzou neatly sidestepped and paried the strike that was meant to kill him and reposed with his other sword. Toshiyo dodged the attack and lunged in again, always searching for a flaw in Kyuuzou's technique. He did not notice that Kyuuzou was hardly exerting himself, nor that the clash of conflict was dying down. It was only when Kyuuzou responded with a lightning-fast attack that Toshiyo had not seen him use that he was finally concious of the depthless silence that was broken only by the clang of his sword hitting the ground. Kyuuzou's sword point bit into the soft flesh of his throat, and his eyes widened.

'Am I going to die?'

"Kyuuzou."

Kyuuzou's eyes moved away from Toshiyo, but his sword remained level at his throat. Behind him, Toshiyo saw the Lord approach, and listened as the Lord addressed Toshiyo.

"You are defeated. All your men are either captured or dead, and you are at the mercy of my bodygaurd. Because I am merciful,and feel that there has been enough bloodshed today, I will simply exile you." The Lord's face gained a grim, calculating smile. "Then again, exile from the city of your birth and defeat at the hands of someone you hate it worse than death,isn't it?"

Toshiyo's arms were jerked behind him, and he was tied tightly, rendered unable to move. It was only when he was completley shackled that Kyuuzou lowered his sword. There was still nothing in his eyes, not even a shred of emotion, which angered Toshiyo.

"Do not think this is the end, Kyuuzou," he hissed, "Your head will be mine!"

The Lord looked at Kyuuzou curiously. "Why does he hate you so?"

"...I killed his brother."

"Oh," the Lord said, a little disconserted at how emotionlessly Kyuuzou stated that information. "Well, you did well today,Kyuuzou. I am once again grateful that you serve me, and are not my enemy."

Kyuuzou simply nodded,and fell into step behind the Lord. He passed Kanbei, and felt, rather than saw, the slight, approving smile. That what he had done pleased Kanbei was more soothing tohim than the thought that someone who wanted his life was still roaming free, and his gait became slightly easier, his shoulders relaxing as he sheathed his swords.

---

Author: Like? If so, COMMENT!


	18. Chapter 18

Author: Look! Two updates in one day! These will become much more infrequent, unfortunatly, as classes begin again soon. To my immense displeasure. ah, well.

Kyuuzou sat in his room later that night, and thought. Had he acted rashly, in dedicating himself to Kanbei? He didn't think so. But, then again, since it was his idea, and since it had achieved the goal of getting rid of the demon,it indeed seemed as if it had been a good plan. Kyuuzou tensed, feeling someone approaching from the secret corridor, but slowly unwound when he felt it was Kanbei. At the same time, an irrational discomfort slowly wormed its way into his mind. He tried to calm himself, but found that as Kanbei came closer, it became worse.When Kanbei stepped into the room, he figured out what was wrong.

Ryuu had come that way so often to drag Kyuuzou away somewhere, sometimes for harmless reasons,others...quite different. So now any male presence coming through that door brought him back to the time he was distinctly vulnerable, to memories of a time and situation that he had been fighting against and seeking to bury since then. He breathed in softly, steadily, until he found the unemotional shell that he had created for himself...and found it was flawed.

Kanbei stood a few steps away from the entrance, and had watched as the short, mental battle had taken place.

"Kyuuzou?"

The younger man turned towards Kanbei's voice, and Kanbei was mildly surprised. He hadn't seen Kyuuzou this withdrawn and emotionless in a while. at least when they were together.

"Why did you step in on the duel I was fighting with Toshiyo? I was quite capable of handling myself."

"..."

Kanbei walked over to Kyuuzou, and could have sworn he saw Kyuuzou flinch as he knealt next to him, though to anyone else it would have seemed he had remained still.

"Kyuuzou."

Kyuuzou had never heard his name spoken with such concern, and he looked over at Kanbei. Their eyes met, and Kanbei could read in them things that Kyuuzou would never voice: experiences, thoughts, and feelings that had been buried inside him for years. He found himself not looking at the hardened eyes of an assassin, but the wounded eyes of a young man who had experienced horrors and withdrawn to protect himself.

"What happened here?"

Kyuuzou immediatly looked away, and went back to the demenor that Kanbei had always known.

"Nothing."

A silence stretched out between them,and Kanbei sighed.

"I'm getting no answers from you today, am I?"

Kyuuzou gave Kanbei a small,knowing smile. "No."

Kanbei stood, sighed, and looked at Kyuuzou. 'One day, I'll get him to tell me what happened here.' He turned and left the same way he had came, having forgotten the reason why he had orignally come in the first place.

---

Toshiyo was put into a heavily guarded cell, surrounded only by the most trusthworthy of the Lord's men. Toshiyo's wrists and neck were chained to the wall as an added precaution. Toshiyo knew better than to struggle, for that would only wear himself out and harm himself. So he thought, and tried to plan a way out. But how? These were no ropes he was dealing with, but steel! And they had taken away his sword. He could see the keys hanging from the guard's hip, tantalyzingly close, teasing him with the promise of freedom and revenge. Even now, he replayed his battle with Kyuuzou over and over in his mind. what had he done wrong?

It hit him with a sudden clarity.

Kyuuzou had not been trying.

KYUUZOU HAD NOT BEEN TRYING!

He had offered himself up as a distraction, merely something to keep him occupied while his supporters were either rounded up or killed. No! NO! He was NOT this dumb! This could not be! He squirmed, the chains rattling as his body vibrated in fury and shame. Now he had double reason to get his revenge of Kyuuzou. For killing his brother and for humiliating himself!

_What are you willing to do?_

'What?' Toshiyo became very still at the voice that echoed somewhere between his ears.

_How badly do you want your revenge?_

'I'll do anything! Just give me Kyuuzou! Let me humiliate him! Destrouy everything he holds dear! Deliver Kyuuzou to me, and I'll do anything!'

_Is that so?_

'YES!'

_We have a deal. I will lend you my strength; my leigons, my skill, my power, so that you can establish the ideal you desire and capture Kyuuzou. Just one minor thing..._

'Yes?'

_Do not kill Kyuuzou. Just give him to me._

Toshiyo frowned, but nodded slowly. 'As long as I can torture him as he has tortured me, tear me apart as he has done to me.'

_Of course, of course. Just don't kill him._

'Alright.'

Toshiyo winced as he felt something burn into his hand, but was thrilled when he heard the tiny sound of the locks on his neck- and handcuffs release. A smile played on his lips and he slipped out of the restraints, making no sound. It was too dangerous to go after Kyuuzou immediatly. He would most likely still be on guard. Genma trained him, afterall,and he had always emphasized caution. Toshiyo carefully, quietly, knocked the guards out, fished out the keys, and let himself out. He'd return for Kyuuzou...once he had all his strength back.

---

Kyuuzou was jolted out of an uneasy doze, and shifted the weight of his swords to his other shoulder. He had felt the demon nearby. But it wasn't concentrating on him...or on Kanbei. Which was unsettling and relieving at the same time. That meant that he had his eyes(?) on someone else...and that could be dangerous. He stood and was about to pace, but decided that there were more constructive ways of getting rid of nervous energy. He left his room via the normal hallway and began to walk down the hallway. He wound his way to the practice rooms, and walked in on the soldiers practicing. He watched them for a few minutes before turning away, mildly annoyed that he hadn't a way to dispel his energy.

"Wait."

Kyuuzou stopped at the sound of Kanbei's voice.

"Why don't we practice together?"

Kyuuzou turned, and was unable to hide the interest in his eyes.

"You and I?"

"Yes."

Kyuuzou's eyes flickered in amusement, and he reentered the room. The soldiers cleared the area for Kyuuzou and Kanbei, and the two of them drew their swords.

"This isn't a duel. Just practice." Kanbei reminded him.

Kyuuzou nodded in agreement. He just wanted to exercise,anyway, and work out his tension. Kanbei could keep up with him, for a while at least.

The two began to spar, back and forth, simple moves, warmups, before gradually progressing to harder and harder techniques. The other people watched in awe, amazed at how fast the two were moving, at the sheer level of skill they were demonstrating. eventually Kanbei backed off, breathing heavily, shirt soaked through. Kyuuzou's breathing was a little deeper than normal, but aside from that, he seemed unaffected by the practice he had been through. Kanbei smiled and softly murmured a phrase that made Kyuuzou's mouth twitch into a smirk, but none of the other soldiers understood. Kyuuzou sheathed his swords, then looked sharply at the door as a pair of soldiers ran in.

"The prisoner...he's escaped!"

This created an immediate reaction on both Kyuuzou and Kanbei's part, Kanbei ordering that a search be started, and Kyuuzou went to the cell where Toshiyo had been held. The moment he entered it to look for clues, he flinched. So the demon had made a deal with Toshiyo. This was bad. Kyuuzou left abruptly, startling the soldiers that had followed him, and returned to the Lord, who was awaiting him anxiously.

"How is this possible? I put my most trustworhty guards around that cell!"

Kyuuzou merely stood there and let the other bodyguard take the burden of the rant, and Kyuuzou thought. Toshiyo was obviosly the kind to hold grudges. But against who, this time? Would it be the Lord for routing his supporters? No, what was he thinking? He'd come after him. After all, it was he, Kyuuzou, who had deprived him of his older brother, and now his honor and his reputation. It would be he who Toshiyo came after. But how? Kyuuzou snapped to attention, feeling that he was being addressed, and caught the question.

"What should we do, Kyuuzou?"

"Wait."

"WHAT!"

Kyuuzou merely shook his head and the other bodyguard caught onto his idea.

"We wait for him to strike again, this time, m'Lord. Intellegence has it that this man, Toshiyo Yamada, is vengeful. There _will_ be a next time."

The Lord thought this over, his whole demenor bespeaking nervousness.

"Please, Lord, trust myself and Kyuuzou to protect you. We will not allow harm to come to you."

The Lord still looked mildly nervous, but he took a deep breath and tried to ease himself with the thought of how well both of his guards, especially Kyuuzou, could fight.

"Very well. We will wait," the Lord said with conviction, then deflated, doubt swamping him again. "But the waiting will be so difficult."

Kyuuzou understood very well what the Lord meant.

Author: COMMENT!


	19. Chapter 19

Author: -cries tears of joy- I love all of you guys. So much. I'm really happy you enjoy my writing; that's the best comment I can get. I wish there was something I could do to thank you for all your kindness, but I guess just writing more will be enough,ne?

'So, why do you want me to give Kyuuzou to you once I'm finished with him?'

_He and I have a score to settle as well. And it'll be much easier once you have weakend him for me._

'Heh. He certianly makes a lot of enemies.' Toshiyo paused as he thought, and he felt the presence of whatever had marked him fade,becoming disinterested in him. 'First, I will get rid of the person he holds the most dear. But who could that be? He's not an emotional person. I suppose this will require some spying.' With that, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the symbol on his hand, and winced as a small, shapeless thing sprung out of the portal that hovered above his hand.

Yes, Master?

"I have an assignment for you. Go to the Lord's castle in the nearby city and search it high and low. Bring me all the information you can gather on the man named Kyuuzou."

The thing appeared to hesitate. Lord, he is a half-demon. He could send me to the final death, and no information would get to you. it said, obviosuly trying to get out of the assignment.

"Do it!" Toshiyo hissed in anger.

The thing wobbled,gave a sullen, As you wish, and then turned into a small cloud of smoke, and wafted out of the cave that Toshiyo had found to set up a base in.

"Now, Kyuuzou, we find your weakness."

---

Kyuuzou sat calmly behind the Lord's chair, and listened with half an ear to the conversation while observing the surroundings. He felt the marks on his body flare, and he was surprised. It had been quite a few days since they had hurt. He concentrated with the newest sense that had been woken in him since he became a demon, and his eyes became a slightly brighter crimson. There was another demon here, and that boded ill. He pretended to ignore it, as it watched him the entire time he was guarding the Lord, but once he had left the Lord behind, he took out his sword and cut into the air, making the out-of-place smoke that he had passed the steel through quiver and dissapear. He waited for a few minutes until he felt it completly outside the castle. He sighed inwardly and went to his room, and his step faltered as he reached the door.

No, I mustn't see Kanbei. Not when demon spies are now being sent here.

He subconciously knew that it was also to avoid the questions that Kanbei might ask, but didn't allow those thoughts to surface.

Kanbei felt Kyuuzou leave and sighed faintly. It was bad that they could both sense each other long before they saw them physically; it allowed Kyuuzou to avoid him. But that couldn't go on for long; Kyuuzou would have to see him in order to take some ki. He turned and was starting to leave when his foot caught on a very loose tatami mat, pulling it away from the floor, and exposing a hole. He knew he shouldn't look, but his curiosity was too strong to resist. He pulled the mat off the rest of the way, and looked into the hole.

There were the clothes that Kyuuzou had worn to show him how he had killed Ryuu, and...some make-up next to them...and some papers. He delicatly took them out, and spread them before him. Some were notes about the layout of the castle, which impressed Kanbei with how detailed they were. Some were one-sided conversations, which made Kanbei wondered who he had talked to,and what it must have been like to pretend to be something that you were not. Some were notes that would have been passed back and forth as requests from Kyuuzou to either servants or guards,and one or two were notes to spies and contacts that would give what Kyuuzou was reporting to the head of their clan. The last paper he found though, was written in Kyuuzou's hand, but it was so meticulously neat that Kanbei wonderd what it could possibly be. He knew he probably shouldn't be reading it, but he started to anyway...

And was unable to finish it.

He put it down and placed it beneath everything else that was in the hole, beneath clothes, papers, books, make-up, knick-knacks, and accumulated detritus. He gently placed the mat over it, and made it seem as if he had never been there. He stood and looked over at the door, and was surprised to see Kyuuzou frozen in the doorway.

He knows, he knows, oh, noooo...get a hold of yourself Kyuuzou!...he knows, look at the pity in his eyes...it's in the past! you're stronger than you were then...NO!

Kyuuzou's eyes became cold, distant, blank, and he regarded Kanbei with an almost deadly calm.

"Why are you here?"

Kanbei had heard Kyuuzou's normal voice, had heard it when he was angry, when he was in pain, when he was absorbed in the information he was reporting. But this was...different.

"I was waiting for you."

"Why?"

"I was concerned about you...and thought that you might need some ki."

"...I do."

Kyuuzou entered the room, then reached out and took Kanbei's hand, and pressed his lips to it. Kanbei felt the tug again, but not quite so strongly.

"My oath to you still stands," Kyuuzou said as he drew away,his eyes still dead. "I need sleep."

Kanbei was not used to being dismissed, but he knew Kyuuozu was doing just that...and in Kyuuzou's current state, Kanbei thought that leaving might be the best idea. He walked past Kyuuzou, and left quietly, his last image of Kyuuzou one of him standing in the middle of the room, a darker shadow within the dark interior.

Kyuuzou stood over the tatami mat that Kanbei had found his belonging under, and closed his eyes. He was surprised when he felt something trailing down his face and opened his eyes, and touched his cheek with his fingers.

What?

He felt a strange sensation in his chest, and immediatly clamped down on it. No. He had promised, while standing right here, that he would feel as little as possible, and never strongly about a person. He had succedded for many years, and had only opened the shell enough to be able to interact with people. Somehow, though, Kanbei had managed to worm his way beneath everything, and had woken things in Kyuuzou that he never thought he had, and uncovered things that Kyuuzou had kept carefully sealed away. And now...

He has found that which I thought was gone forever.

He drew in a series of deep breaths, and then wound his way over to his futon, took off his swords and placed them by his side, took off his boots, laid down and resolutely closed his eyes as he pulled the covers around him.

---

Kanbei was in a vaugely similar position, lying down on his futon as well, staring up at the ceiling as the moonlight played tag with the shadows, chasing them across the room.

'Kyuuzou...'

That paper explained quite explicitly to Kanbei why Kyuuzou has the personality he does. Why he's withdrawn, why you can never guess what he's thinking, and his reticence to speak.

'any way you look at it, though, from his reaction I've set him back 10 paces from his ability to express emotions at all...for now, though, I think it may be best to leave him alone...'

Kanbei closed his eyes and tried to block out how Kyuuzou's eyes had changed from surprised to blank, cold, and unfeeling.

---

Kyuuzou felt himself being watched by various other demons, but he had neither the motivation nor reason to actively search them out and destroy them. After all, he hadn't visited Kanbei in a while, and the only things he did with his time is guard, eat, and sleep. None of which could be helpful to whomever was sending these spies. Eventually, though, he felt a weariness and sloth begin to descend on him, andhe figured that now might be a good time to force himself to visit Kanbei. Because of a caution that was inherint in everything he did, he sought out all the spies and killed them all, removing their annoying presence from his mind, and let none escape. He then felt safe enough to go to Kanbei.

Kanbei was dozing lightly in his room, slumped over a desk littered with papers, some having blown onto the floor from the wind from the open window that let in brief summer winds. Kyuuzou slowly,quietly entered the room, and kept his aura from alerting the other man that he was in the same room. He walked over, feet making no sound as they crossed the floor, and knealt next to the unconcious man. He brushed a stray strand of hair from the older man's face and merely looked at him for a while as Kanbei drifted into a deeper sleep.

Why is just being in his presence soothing? he asked himself,but shrugged off the question.

He leaned in and gently kissed Kanbei's forehead, and stayed there until he felt awake and alert again. He pulled back and let Kanbei's hair fall across his face again before standing and leaving the room, never once having woken Kanbei from his exhausted sleep.

---

Toshiyo sighed and tapped his fingers on the table in a house that he had...convinced...a family to vacate for his use. His information sources in the castle had dissapeared, but he felt that he had watched Kyuuzou for long enough,and needed to conserve his energy if he was going to strike, for he'd have to use a Greater Demon, one that could not be killed with simply one cut from Kyuuzou's swords, which seemed to have taken on some of his own demonic energy.

'For only another demon can kill a demon,' he thought wryly to himself. 'And since Kyuuzou is apparently only a half-demon, he won't be able to win against a Greater Demon.'

This thought made Toshiyo smile. 'He'll be powerless to protect the new Lord...oh, I can't wait to see the frustration. I know what I'll do, now. Lesser Demons to distract and tire him, then I will unleash the Greater Demon, and he won't be able tostop it!' Toshiyo chuckled and then settled back to sleep, and dreamt pleasent dreams of a powerless Kyuuzou succumbing to Toshiyo's new powers.


	20. Chapter 20

Author: Be prepared for a very long chapter. I'm quite proud of this one,actually. Again, thank you all for reading!

Kyuuzou felt the marks on his body flare and slither beneath his skin, alerting him that all was not well. He was not in a good place to fight, if needed. The room where he was watching and listening to the Lord negotiate with merchants, wandering artists who wished to set up a shop in the city mostly known for its arts, ronin, and people that the Lord was considering hiring to work for him was relatively small, with only one main exit, and only one secret passageway out. Kyuuzou felt the marks on his body grow stronger as the day wore on into dusk, and he quietly unsheathed his swords, distracting no-one from their conversation. It took four mishapen creatures climbing out of the growing shadows to do that. Kyuuzou moved quickly,disabling the demons frombeing able to use their limbs, and found that his sword's cuts cauterized the wound he caused, making it impossible for them to replace their lost limbs. Kyuuzou cut another exit for the Lord and pushed him out it, following closely enough to stop the attack that would have cut the man into pieces. He fought his way through the corridors until he was in the best lighted room, the shadows too small to provide much of a portal. He saw the other bodyguard come running down to meet him and the Lord and lookedat Kyuuzou.

"What'sgoing on here?"

"Demons."

Kyuuzou quickly took the other guard's sword and cut his arm, letting the blood flow over the blade, and watched as it was absorbed into the steel. He gave it back to the bodyguard who almost dropped it as he watched the wound in Kyuuzou's arm heal.

"You can wound them now." He turned away from the two men, then paused. "Keep to well-lighted areas. I'm going to clean out this place."

With that, he ran off, and began the difficult process of sending the demons to the final death. He found vital points, counted how many strokes were needed to kill some of them, and conserved his energy as much as he could. He had a sneaking suspicion that this wouldn't be the end of it. The feeling got worse as time went on, and when the last demon was dispatched with the help of other normal guards the feeling crecendoed into an almost overwhelming pain. He turned to where it was worst and began to run over there. It would only be once all the demons were gone that Kanbei would be safe again. He came out into the courtyard where executions had been held, where it was devoid of anything but stone and shadows. Idiot, Kyuuzou thought to himself,but couldn'thelp but be impressed by the formidable figure coming out of a rift in the very fabric of the world, and Kyuuzou could see the small spheres that marked the afterlife. He ran over to where the Lord and other bodyguard were and steeled himself. This was not like the other demons he had faced thus far.

He had a bad feeling about this.

The creature eventually found its footing in the physical realmn, its heavily taloned feet diggging into the ground, causing stones to be crushed into powder at his very weight. Next to come out was a torso that ripped in the middle to reveal a grotesq mouth filled with rows of serated teeth. Four heavily muscled arms that ended in scythe-like blades came out next, to be followed at last by a head covered in a multitude of eyes, another mouth splitting the head down the middle vertically, and opened toreveal only two long fangs that dripped with a saliva that burned into the ground. With a sickening pop, a tail grew from the middle of the creatures back, ending in a spiky ball that Kyuuzou knew would hurt if struck by it. He already had been wounded by similar tails, but not in such a scale. All in all, it ended up being three times Kyuuzou's height, and looked at the three men assmebled before it in disdain.

**Pathetic creatures. Which of you is the one I'm supposed to kill?**

Kyuuzou stepped forward, and fell into his strongest guard stance.

**Look! The little demonling seeks to hurt me with two metal sticks!**

The demon's laugh made everyone but Kyuuzou clap their hands over their ears, seeking to block out the noise that made them feel as if they would break in two.

Kyuuzou wished to delay the fight no longer than nessacary, and so charged. He jumped over the tail that was swung at him and managed to cut along the spine of the tail, making the demon hiss. He avoided a swat by one of the massive scythes, but couldn't avoid the strong wind that it generated as it passed, sending him flying towards on of the stone walls. He turned in barely enough time, and avoided another strike by the tail, to discover with dismay that his cut had barely slowed down the demon. He saw that another battle was taking place on the other side of the demon, the other bodyguard doing fairly well with the demon-cursed sword Kyuuzou had made quickly. He would have to pull the demon's entire attention to him. But how?

The eyes!

Kyuuzou jumped onto the demon's arm and wanted to scream as his feet were snagged by the thin needles that made up the demon's body's skin. He raced up one massive shoulder and jumped up onto the demon's head, making the demon screech. The demon's attention was pulled into getting the more agile Kyuuzou off his face while also not harming himself. As the demon stomped around indiscriminantly, he ran into one of the walls, knocking it down, exposing a group of soldiers,who tried firearms and bows to hurt him, and found that they didn't even make a dent in this demon's armor; it only seemed to annoy him. Kyuuzou looked down to yell at them and caught sight of Kanbei in the way of the demon. Kyuuzou plunged a sword into one of the demon's eyes, and they screamed in unison, the demon because Kyuuzou had plucked an eye out, Kyuuzou because the demon's blood burned into him. Kyuuzou pulled back, and found himself swated into the ground, the air rusing out of his lungs from the hard fall. he rolled, just barely avoiding the demon's foot,and saw Kanbei again, trying to help the wounded and dying away from the scene.

I must...protect him...I promised.

But how? You don't seem to be able to hurt him as much as you could the others.

Kyuuzou looked up at the demon's body, and saw faint patterns of runes rushing across his skin, forming the armor that shielded him.

Maybe...?Kyuuzou looked down at his own skin and made a split-second decsion. If he could concentrate on the script enough to understand what it did, perhaps he could use it to make himself stronger.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the pattern that he saw passing even under his eyelids, willing it to grow brighterand reveal something he could use to help fight this demon.

_Only a demon can kill another demon, _was one of the script's lines.

Then how do I become a demon!

_Like this._

Kyuuzou screamed again as the runes glowed more brightly than they had ever before, showing through even the cloth. That scream, and the power that the demon felt beginning to eminate from Kyuuzou turned his attention away from playing with the other bodyguard. When he looked over,Kyuuzou was on his feet, eyes glowing bright crimson in the darkness, the only part of him that was visible.

**What?**

The demon that had been Kyuuzou snarled and charged again, and this time, his sword cut cleanly through the other demon's tail, sending the club end of it falling onto the floor, making the demon screech in pain.

**Bastard!**

The demon swung at what-was-Kyuuzou with two of his arms, and Kyuuzou jumped between the two, one sword cutting through the thin wrist of one, the other sword cutting through the other wrist. The demon lunged to bite Kyuuzou in half, but Kyuuzou managed to evade and land on the skin next to the mouth on his stomach. He then stabbed into the demon and dragged the blade up through the demon's torso, evading the swinging arms, smiling faintly as the demon only hurt itself. He jumpedupto thehead, evaded the fangs dripping with venom, and slashed at some of the demon's numerous eyes, numb to the pain caused by being splattered by the demon's blood. He jumped down from the demon'sface as he tried to knock him off and landed on the demon's stomach. Kyuuzou struck at the edge of the mouth, and the demon reflexively brought his head down to try and stab Kyuuzou with one of the venemous fangs. Kyuuzou waited until the very last second tostep away, and the demon ended up impaling itself on its own fangs, pumping venom meant to kill demons into his own bloodstream. It sent out a blood-curdling howl before staggering back, withdrawing its fangs from its torso, and focusing all its eyes on the calm demon before him, hate and dispare burning in its dying eyes. It dissapeared slowly in a cloud of acidic smoke that made many of the people around throw up, but the demon that remained was unphased.

"Kyuuzou."

The demon turned at the sound of what was its name and saw a tired, faintly frightened man walking to him. The demon turned and walked over to the Lord, stopping him in his tracks.

"You have only minor wounds. You will be fine." The Lord shivered under the flat statements of his well-being, and was relieved when those glowing, dangerous eyes shifted from him to the other bodyguard.

"Your sword worked well."

The other bodyguard nodded, unnerved by how the pattern on Kyuuzou's clothing seemed to shift, glaring a red as bright as his eyes. "Take him to have his wounds treated."

The other bodyguard nodded and hastily pulled the Lord away, wanting to get away from the impassive, dangerous gaze. Slowly people drifted away from the scene of the battle, until only two remained within the devistated courtyard.

"Kyuuzou."

The demon turned and looked at the other man standing in the courtyard. He recognized him slowly, having to dredge it up from the depths of his being.

"Kanbei."

The statement of the name was simply a recognition, an attempt to grab back onto the reality he had left.

I'm this way so...I could protect...him. He is the...one that I...serve.

He is safe...

He is safe...

Safe...

Kyuuzou slowly flicked the green/black blood off of his swords,the drops sizzling on the pavement, and sheathed the swords. The pattern slowly faded from his clothes, and he seemed to be wrapped in cloth again, rather than shadows. The glow in his eyes slowly faded, and the skin of his face gained color again, defining into definite features, rather than a shadow in roughly the contour of his face.

"Kanbei..." this time the statement of the name was said with an undercurrent of relief. Kyuuzou took a step towards him, and then abruptly doubled over, overwhelmed by exhaustion. Kanbei went over to him, and knealt in front of him, and held his shoulders, allowing Kyuuzou to look up at him, and Kanbei was startled by the sheer weariness in Kyuuzou's eyes.

"You are...safe."

Kanbei nodded.

Kyuuzou smiled faintly, and then reached out and took a small handful of the cloth of Kanbei's uniform, and leaned into him. "Good..."

Kanbei looked down at Kyuuzou, and was unsurprised to see that he was asleep. Kanbei smiled softly, and then picked Kyuuzou up, cradling him against his chest, finding that Kyuuzou was wont to give up his hold on Kanbei's clothing. He turned and walked softly, carefully, back to the officer's wing, ignoring the questioning looks that people gave him. With some difficulty, he entered his room,opening and closing the door carefully so that Kyuuzou did not hit his head against the doorframe. He set Kyuuzou down gently on his futon, and looked at him briefly, his eyes soft.

'I don't think he'd want to sleep in those clothes.' Hesitantly, he reached out and unbuttoned Kyuuzou's jacket, and pulled it gently off his frame, then took off Kyuuzou's chest brace, then the looose shirt. He touched each newly-healing wound, eyes sad.

'All this for me...I don't know if I'm worthy of such devotion.'

He let his hands gently trace the countour of Kyuuzou's upper-body, and couldn't help but to lean down and gently kiss Kyuuzou on the lips.

He did not expect to see Kyuuzou wake, nor did he expect the younger man to reach up and gently wrap his arms around his neck and pull him closer. The two pulled away after a long moment, and Kyuuzou looked at Kanbei, his eyes uncharacteristically sad.

"You read my list."

"...I did."

"And?"

"I think I understand why you are the way you are a little better."

"You do not..?"

"Respect you less because of that? Want you less because of that? No." Kanbei gently caressed Kyuuzou's face. "I am simply sorry that someone I knew and respected did such awful things to you. How old were you?"

"Old enough." Kyuuzou's voice had become icy and bitter at the memories, but Kanbei drew his thoughts away from the past by lightly kissing his neck, making him shiver.

"You have never been pleasured yourself though, am I not right?"

Kyuuzou nodded slightly, and Kanbei moved tobe able to look into Kyuuzou's eyes.

"Do you want me to?"

Kanbei was surprised and amused at the blush that tinged Kyuuzou's cheeks, at how wide and surprised his eyes had become.

"Well?"

after a moment's hesitation, Kyuuzou brought Kanbei back down into a kiss that was all an answer that Kanbei needed.

Author: mmm...and the smut begins there. However, since this is on I will merely leave it implied. I am, however, going to actually write the smut, and that will be on adultfanfiction. I am apparently unable to put the link in my documents, so it will probably be either in the description of the story or on my main site. -sighs- I hate my computer...sometimes. 


	21. Chapter 21

Author: We're actually starting to wind down. I think I might be able to get this under 30 chapters. I'll be damned if I don't. Anyway, enjoy, and again, thanks for reading!

Kyuuzou woke, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. He shifted slightly, and found that he was curled around Kanbei, both of them mildly sticky from the night before. He clamped down on a snicker, and wormed his way out of Kanbei's hold, trying not to wake the man. He nearly tripped over discarded clothes, and sighed inwardly. The clothes were in no shape to be worn anytime soon, a result from the demon's battle. On impulse, he reached into a nearby shadow and pulled. Four pieces of shadow followed as he drew his hand away, and he was amused to find that each formed into a seperate piece of clothing. He folded them over his arm and looked down at his body, sighed, and entered a secret passage that no-one uses and found his way to the baths. Kyuuzou quickly cleaned himself off, and then threw on his clothes before heading out into the main hallways, not caring how his hair dried as he walked to where the Lord had relocated to. He opened the door, and stepped inside to a look of relief on the Lord's face.

"Kyuuzou!"

Kyuuzou nodded to the other bodyguard who left, looking highly relieved, but gave Kyuuzou a wide berth on the way out, which amused Kyuuzou. Kyuuzou walked over to the Lord, who smiled at him.

"Thank you for saving me yesterday!"

Kyuuzou looked at him and nodded slightly, accepting the thanks, but not acknowledging that he had done it for the Lord. Kyuuzou settled down into the Lord's shadow, and was midly surprised at how much easier it was, how much more...natural...it felt to be in the darkness rather than the light, which was becoming painful to his eyes. He made himself as comfortable as possible, and resigned himself to a day first of meetings, then of public relations explinations, then rebuilding, before he could finally get away to think over what had happened in the past 24 hours.

---

Toshiyo was eating in the hut some rice he had found when the lesser demon he had sent to simply watch the outcome of the battle came back. Toshiyo addressed it with a smile.

"Well?"

The demon shifted uncomfortably, it's big eyes refusing to look at Toshiyo. Toshiyo frowned.

"It did not go as planned?"

"No, sir."

"Why not? What happened?"

The demon looked even more uncomfortable, then jumped when Toshiyo snarled,

"Show me what happened!"

The demon reluctantly waddled over to Toshiyo, and its eyes focused on the table in front of the man. After a moment of struggling, an image flickered on the surface of the table, and then it became clearer, and Toshiyo watched the whole battlefrom beginning to end. When the demon's memory ran out, Toshiyo closed his eyes, outwardly calm, but if observed closely enough, one would be able todiscern thathis body was vibrating in fury.

"It was not the Lord! It was not he who Kyuuzou protected! Who, then?" Toshiyo snarled the demon's name,which made it cringe and bow its head. "How did Kyuuzou beat the Greater Demon? What was it he became?"

The demon shifted uncomfrotably, but was bound to answer truthfully.

"He's a Shadow, Toshiyo-sama."

"What does that mean?"

"Something went...wrong, when our Master created him into a half-demon. Kyuuzou managed to somehow take a part of our Master's power with him, or maybe absorbed it from somewhere else, and has managed to transform himself into a dangerous, elusive demon."

"Tell me, what powers exactly does he have?"

"He can manipulate shadows, as implied by the name. The more shadows, the stronger he is. His blood is Cursed, so he can kill other demons simply by getting a few drops of blood on them; unlike Morskzdrienghf yesterday, though, he can not be killed by something that is a very part of him, as Morskzdrienghf's venom backfired. Because of this, he can Curse other objects, as he did with that other man's sword. Now that he's a full demon, though, if he does that to another sword, it'll be much more dangerous. He is completly silent. He shares qualities with Darkness and Night, so..."

"If I attack him during the day,he'll be weaker!"

"_All_ demons are weaker during the day."

"But he would be more so. Especially during noon. I know what we'll do. First, though, I want to see if we can take the man he truly protected without alerting Kyuuzou. If that fails...we'll attack Kyuuzou during the day, distracting and weakening him while we take that man, alerting him to that only after dusk. Tell me, when is the summer solstice?"

The demon winced at the mention of the longest day of the year, and murmured, "In a week, Toshiyo-sama."

"Good. Try to take the man he protected tommorrow,when he is with the other soldiers, far from Kyuuzou. If that doesn't work...well, we'll plan for the summer solstice."

The lesser demon nodded, displeased but knowing that Toshiyo could harm him as much as Kyuuzou could, since he was bound to Toshiyo. Toshiyo dismissed the demon and called in some other ones, and explained what he wanted them to do.

---

Kyuuzou was waiting in Kanbei's room when Kanbei returned from dinner with his men, and glanced up at him from his seat beneath the window. Kanbei smiled faintly at him.

"Yes?"

Kyuuzou stood slowly, walked over to Kanbei, and drew Kanbei's sword out of its sheathe, confusing the man.

"What are you doing?"

Kyuuzou rolled back his coat and shirt sleeves so that his forearm was bare, and then sliced it open with Kanbei's sword, and made sure that his blood coated the entire blade before pulling the blade away. He watched as his blood settled, then seemed tobe absorbed into the steel, and the cut on his arm healed with no visible scarring.

"What was that for?"

Kyuuzou resheathed the sword as he walked to Kanbei, and lookedup at him when they were nearly touching.

"For your safety."

Kanbei looked at him questioningly.

"You can kill demons now."

"really?"

"My blood seems to be able to wound them."

"Enough for me to take care of myself if you can't immediatly come?"

Kyuuzou looked away, ashamed to admit that he had limitations and weaknesses when it came to protecting Kanbei.

Kanbei tilted Kyuuzou's head up and kissed him, one that lingered long after they had parted.

"Thank you."

Kyuuzou nodded slightly and began to turn away, but stopped. He seemed as if he was about tosay something, but then simply shook his head and walked away into another secret passage that Kanbei hadn't seen him use before. Kanbei lightly touched the scar that he and Kyuuzou shared,then turned and looked at the door where a surprised soldier stood, trying to maintain his composure, even as Kanbei smiled faintly.

"You have something to report?"

"Y-y-yes, sir."

"Then report."

Kanbei's voice was harsh enough and commanding enough to make the soldier shake off his surprise and disgorge his message. Kanbei asked brief, relavent questions, before dismissing the soldier. He knew that people would believe what the soldier said only to be rumors, and anyway, he was now needed for a patrol tommorrow, since he was the only one not deathly afraid of the Yuurei district. He sighed, and put his sword down, and pulled off his jacket. He needed rest, for the night before had been...eventful, and uncondusive to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

The demons lurked in the shadows as Kanbei and the men he had commanded were coming back from a long day of rooting out gangs and discontent in the Yuurei district, Kanbei tired from having to deal with the strain of having to soothe the men's fears as well as fight physical battles. The demons, sensing that Kanbei was tired, decided that it would be a good time to attack, since the other men would only be able to wound them a little, and those wounds would heal quickly.

They didn't expect, when Kanbei fought back against their ambush, that Kanbei would have a Cursed sword.

Kanbei made quick work of the demons, even as some the men he had worked with ran away in pure terror. He sighed, unhappy, and worried. This wasn't a random attack. This was thought out and focused. But why...to get to Kyuuzou. That's why. If there were demons, it had something to do with Kyuuzou. He collected and soothed the other men, who were all wary of him and his sword that could kill demons. His calm,rational words eventually got them walking back to the castle, Kanbei bringing up the rear in case of another attack.

---

"Wonderful! Now my patrols are being attacked!" the Lord exclaimed, frustrated. "Who is able to control these creatures?"

Kyuuzou watched the Lord pace back and forth, already having an educated guess as to who might be behind this.

He made a pact with that...Demon...when he escaped, and so can now control some ranks of demons. But, the question is, what is the price he's going to pay...?

He sought out Kanbei as soon as he was relieved of duty, but was dettered by the fact that he was surrounded by other people. But he wanted to check if he was unharmed, make certain for himself that there was no demon-infected wound on him. He looked around and saw that Kanbei's shadow was touching the shadow of the wall where Kyuuzou was standing.

How convienet.

Kyuuzou made the small switch into being a shadow rather than flesh and blood and slipped into Kanbei's shadow. He moved along until he was directly behind Kanbei. His hands slowly began to trace down Kanbei's back, checking that first, and felt Kanbei jump a little, yet managed to continue the conversation with little hitch. It was only when Kyuuzou ran his hands over his butt and down his legs that Kanbei had to excuse himself, after finding a break in the conversation. The soldiers, not noticing anything to be wrong with Kanbei, bid him a good night and watched as he walked away, only one feeling as if something was wrong with Kanbei's shadow, but, blamed it on bad lighting, and turned back to his friends.

---

Kanbei closed the door to his room behind him, and then growled in annoyance.

"What were you _doing_? That was not an appropriate time!"

Kyuuzou melted out of Kanbei's shadow and walked around him, running his hands down one arm, then his chest, then the other arm.

"You are unharmed."

"I'm better than you think I am," Kanbei said dryly.

Kyuuzou reached up and pulled Kanbei's face down so that it was even with his own.

"Demons are not humans."

Kyuuzou's eyes were filled with rebuke and annoyance, but underneath the obvious emotions were anxiety and relief.

"You've been looking a little...sick, these last days, Kyuuzou."

Kyuuzou let Kanbei's neck go and refused to say anything in return to that statement.

"Kyuuzou. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Kyuuzou."

Kyuuzou looked back at Kanbei, his eyes bordering on being distant, yet also annoyed. "It's nothing."

"Liar."

Kyuuzou bristled. There were two things he hated people calling him, and that was one of them. Kanbei saw this, and waited.

"The light...is...unpleasent."

"What do you mean?"

"The longest light of the year is a few days from now."

"So?"

"The shadows are smallest then."

Kanbei understood. "I see." Kanbei reached out and touched Kyuuzou's face, sliding his fingers down Kyuuzou's cheek to his jaw, to tilt his head up.

"Take it easy tommorrow. Don't overexert yourself if you feel ill."

"I'll be fine." Kyuuzou snapped.

Kanbei's look told Kyuuzou that he didn't believe him. Kyuuzou's eyes were slowly becoming cold, but Kanbei leaned down and kissed Kyuuzou, only to find himself drawn into a more heated kiss, and drawn closer to the younger man. They broke away after a long moment, and looked at each other.

"You be careful, too, Kanbei."

"I will be."

---

Toshiyo was displeased by the news of their failure to capture Kanbei, but had really expected no less. He sat and thought, planning out carefully what he would do. To make a mistake would be fatal at this point. Once he had the plan entirely laid out in his head, he rested, and dreampt of which demons he should use; which were most tolerant to light, which ones would be able to overwhlem a swordsman with a Cursed sword, which would be able to jam any emotions or thoughts from reaching Kyuuzou through Kanbei. He slept for two days straight, drawing all his energy reserves, so that he would be able to both summon and control the demons he needed. After all, it would not be good if they suddenly turned on him,finding it better to ally themselves with a fellow demon than a hated human. He awoke, refreshed and ready, and began the difficult, painful process of calling and binding all the demons he needed to his will.

Author: This is a short chapter because the next two or three will be VERY long and VERY detailed. So, this is a nice, little break for eyes before you begin to slave through elaborate stuff. Not that it won't befun to write/read. Anyway...I love you all, even more if you comment! By the way...I want chapter names for all of these, but I don't know what to name them,which is why they have the original titles "Chapter 1", Chapter 2" and so on. help is appreciated!


	23. Chapter 23

It was the day before the summer solstice, and Kyuuzou was exhausted. Sleep brought no relief, for he had troubled dreams, and Kanbei had been busy for the days before. Every movement seemed to sap his strength more, and the Lord noticed this.

"Kyuuzou, what's wrong?"

It took Kyuuzou a long moment to answer, "Nothing."

"If you say so. Are you sure you don't want to see a medic?"

"yes."

The Lord dropped the subject, not entirely wanting to know what was making Kyuuzou so irratable. The air in the audience chamber was stale, so the Lord had moved his meetings to a veranda out in a garden, where there was even less protection from the searing summer sun,depriving Kyuuzou of the cool sancuary of the shadows. He struggled to stay concious and focused, but he couldn't help but feel as if there was something wrong, but it was muted, and distant, and he was naturally wary, so, being as weary as he was, he simply ignored it and tried to keep functioning.

---

Kanbei found himself surrounded, sword drawn, the rest of his patrol dead. The streets were silent, scared, and shocked as the demons slobbered and gazed hungrily at the man inthe middle of their circle.

"You are the one the demon Kyuuzou claims as his."

Kanbei didn't answer, and another demon hissed in annoyance. "We know you are, human scum. You either come with us to the one who has bound us unharmed or we bring you to him on death's door. It's up to you."

"Why does he want me?"

The ring of demons hissed in amusement, acrid smoke swirling out of their mouths. "Because of the Shadowling! He _hates_ him."

"Loathes him."

"Wants to kill him."

"But Master won't let him."

"Toshiyo is not your Master?"

The demons snarled, "No _human_ can ever be our Master!"

"Kyuuzou claims me as his."

The demons were surprised by this. A demon claiming a human as the only one he'd serve?

Kanbei took this moment of confusion and charged at the thinnest part of the ring and cut through two demons, and fought his way out of the rest of the circle, breaking through much to the surprise of the demons. He started to sprint towards an area of both greater space and light. He skidded to a stop in a place he remembered well; it was the same arena he and Kyuuzou had fought their duel, and it was wide-open to the light. He watched the demons come, but never expected to feel whispers of arms and blades passing through him, even though he remained unharmed. He turned around, leading with his sword, and cut through a few ghosts that had come up behind him, stemming from the house that had been the base of the assassin ring, and watched them dissapear.

He heard their curses, their cries in his mind, condemning him for associating with Kyuuzou, for having Kyuuzou serve him.

He will turn on you!

He turned on _us_ and we were like family!

He will destroy you!

SILENCE.

The ghost of an older man came up and stood next to Kanbei, ghostly-sword shimmering in and out of existance in his etheral hand.

Kyuuzou serves you?

"I know you from somewhere."

Lord Ryuu would make use of my clan...sometimes. But the mission to kill him was too much of a challenge for me not to pose it to Kyuuzou. I feel a little bad about it. The ghost gave him a wry smile, then turned back tothe demons.

I will help you, for as long as I can, for my blade can touch them as much as yours can. 

"But you are only one person."

The others will listen to what I tell them to do. Now, go. I feel my helping you might redeem myself a little for all that I put Kyuuzou through.! 

Kanbei nodded, understanding, and left at a run.

Genma watched Kanbei leave, eyes slightly sad. Tell Toshiyo that I am truly sorry that he is suffering so much.

He turned back to face the oncoming demons, and, at seeing his resolve, those who followed him turned to face the onslaught, and steeled themselves for the Final Death. All for a man who they barely knew to escape.

Kanbei ran, but found himself going down the same streets over and over, and eventually stopped, chest heaving, sweat dripping down him in sheets. He was in the business district; he didn't know if this was good or bad; there weren't many people out, but he didn't want a battle to damage shops, goods, and whomever may be inside the stores.

Then again, it was strangely quiet, even for a day as hot as it was. He closed his eyes, feeling that something was wrong, and focused on his surroudnings.Slowly, he felt as if something was slipping and he thought he could hear human voices when he was brought back to reality by the sound of something coming towards him, and brought the sword up in just barely enough time to deflect the demon's attack, cutting its clawed hand in two, making it screech. It was then that he heard the whispering chatter of demon-speak in his mind, warping his senses, making them unreliable, and, somehow, felt how they had managed to pull him into a dimensional space right alongside normal Haruka, while also being in it. Kanbei shifted, trying to find a way to distract himself from the words that made no sense to him, but were inexorably driving him to distraction. He abruptly tuned around and swung his sword up, and blocked the sword stroke that he first thought was meant to kill him, but when he saw how the blade was positioned, he knew it had been meant to merely render him unconcious. He looked at the man in front of him, and saw an immediate and striking resemblance to the ghost he had met, while also remembering the face.

"Toshiyo, isn't it?"

"Don't you dare say my name! You aren't worthy enough to utter it!" Toshiyo and Kanbei broke away, and began to carefully size the other up.

"I met your brother in the Yuurei district."

"What? Is he still there?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Liar! Tell me!" Toshiyo charged and swung at Kanbei, who dodged and blocked the second strike that followed.

However, he did tell me to inform you that he was sorry that you are suffering so much."

Toshiyo snarled at Kanbei and performed a series of rapid strikes that Kanbei once again managed to deflect, and then he struck back with a sidesweeping attack that Toshiyo managed to block, but found that the force behind it had made him stagger back from Kanbei.

"I have no grudge against you, Toshiyo. I do not wish to be fighting this battle."

"Too bad," Toshiyo said, and at a small gesture,what shadows were around reached out and tried to bind Kanbei; however, when Kanbei swung his sword at them, the shadows withered and retreated. This distracted Kanbei enough for Toshiyo to call in more demons, little ones simply meant to annoy and tire Kanbei. When Toshiyo saw that Kanbei was becoming overwhelmed after nearly a half hour of solid, grueling fighting, Toshiyo lunged in and hit Kanbei's temple hard, knocking him unconcious and catching him as he fell. Toshiyo dismissed the demons, which were more than happy to leave the painful sunlight, and looked at the man in his arms.

"Now, Shimaa Kanbei, we have you lure Kyuuzou to me."

Toshiyo spoke a harsh word that would make most people wince, and he and Kanbei vanished in a puff of acrid smoke.

Kanbei's sword clattered to the ground, the only clue of his passage through the area.

---

Kyuuzou was struck with a dizzy, sickening feeling, one that made him believe something terrible had happened. The Lord dismissed him earlier than usual, since Kyuuzou was looking less than normal, and Kyuuzou used that. He immediatly left the castle, following rumors of where Kanbeihad gone. As he was walking to the district Kanbei was supposed to be, he caught a glimpse of something in the light that felt familiar. He walked over to it and stared, frozen for a solid minute. Slowly, he picked up Kanbei's sword, and looked at it.

Demon blood on it...and that smell...

Kyuuzou's eyes flashed in anger, and he snarled one word, "Toshiyo."

He would find thatpitiful excuse for a man, and he would get Kanbei back at any cost. He closed his eyes and held Kanbei's sword in front of him, and concentrated his entire will on finding which direction Kanbei was in. Slowly, he felt the sword vibrating faintly in his hand, accepting him,remembering him from before, and Kyuuzou turned slowly until the sword fell still. Kyuuzou let his arm fall by his side and then walked in the direction it had pointed, eyes both resolute and tired.

Author: Thank you for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

Kanbei opened his eyes slowly, and saw a bright blue sky above him, littered with puffy white clouds happily floating along, and could almost feel the light breeze the carried them in the sky. He felt his head was resting on something softer than the grass that played around his clothes, and wondered exactly what was happening.

_"I wish every day was like this, don't you?"_

Kanbei tilted his head back farther, startled by the voice. When he saw the face, he sat up abruptly, amusing his companion.

_"You don't have to always be so wary."_

_"How can this be?" Kanbei asked softly, and found his voice was that of a much younger man._

_"Silly man. What do you mean?"_

_"You died!"_

_"It must have been a dream, dear."_

Kanbei looked around, and his heart ached. He remembered these hills, remembered the two small forms playing a ways down, the strings to their kites taut in the wind, and he remembered the woman sitting not to far from him. He could remember moments like this one, so fleeting in an era of war and chaos. He had cherished this peace, this time allowed to him to be with his wife and children.

_"It was too real to be a dream. No. It made to much sense to be a dream."_

_"What makes sense to you might just sound absurd to me. Tell me this dream of yours, o Doomsayer of mine."_

Kanbei started to tell what had happened after this moment he so craved; the war, her death, their children's death, him being shuttled around from battlefield to battlefield, about how the War ended, and was starting his tale of Kanna Village when he stopped on a single name, and trailed off.

_"Dear? What's wrong?"_

_"That name...holds...too much meaning to be a dream."_

_"What? What do you mean?"_

Kanbei looked at she who had been his wife, then slowly stood, and he aged before his wife's eyes, his hair going from a deep chestnut hue to a dull brown/grey, lines forming around his mouth and eyes, saw his clothing change, saw his eyes harden and grow sad.

"I'm sorry. I grieved for you for a long time, stayed true to your memory. I will carry you in my heart, always, but I cannot join you yet."

_"Where are you going? another war? are you going to leave me alone again?"_

Kanbei turned on his heel slowly, and walked away from his past, and towards the present, holding back the tears that threatened to choke him as his wife's pleas faded and then stopped.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was to stare out into bare, desolate surroundings, much harsher on the eye than the pleasing coutenance of she who had been his wife and the grassy meadow of his memories.

"Toshiyo-sama! _He_ is awake."

Toshiyo entered, looking exhaultant and smug.

"Poor Shimada Kanbei. You picked the losing side again. Kyuuzou will come here for you, as he has sworn to do. You will witness his defeat, his torture, his shame, first at my hands...and then at the demon who created him as Kyuuzou is now. And without your Cursed sword, there is _nothing_ you can do about it." Toshiyo rewarded the demon that had kept watch with something, Kanbei wasn't sure what, before turning his fanatical, overbright eyes on him again.

"I wonder what he sees in you, Kanbei. Why would he chose someone who he once fought against to serve? I suppose I'll draw that answer out of him, as I will many things, once he is here and beaten."

"You underestimate Kyuuzou."

"Oh, no. Not during today. Tell me, Kanbei. You slept through the night, and Kyuuzou, I've been informed, has been coming this way since a few hours after you were taken. What day is today?"

"Why should the date matter?" Kanbei demanded, even though he already knew the answer. He was simply trying to buy time for Kyuuzou to come here without having to worry about Toshiyo hovering over and waiting for his arrival.

"It's the summer solstice," Toshiyo hissed in pleasure. "The longest light of the year! Today is also fairly hot outside. Poor Kyuuzou," he purred no sympathy in his voice or eyes. "How he must be suffering in all that black and no place to hide."

Kanbei twitched, irked about what was happening. This guy was completly insane.

"Why bother going through all the trouble of this elaborate plan? Certainly there must be a simpler way."

"He killed my older brother! He defeated and shamed me in the face of my commrades, common people, and rulers! There is _no_ simple way to finish this simply!"

"I can...think of a way."

Both men looked at the entrance of the cave where a figure was more leaning than standing against the cave entrance, his breath coming in gasps, clothing and hair stuck to his body.

"YOU. How did you get here without me knowing?"

"...no challenge."

Toshiyo twitched, then shook his head, regaining his composure.

"Welcome. How would you settle our...dispute?"

Kyuuzou held out a sword and pointed it at Toshiyo's chest, and Kanbei noticed it was his own sword. He hadn't realized he had dropped it and cursed himself for a fool.

"With your death."

Toshiyo laughed and drew his own sword, smiling maniaclly. Kyuuzou moved and Toshiyo stepped back, evading what Kyuuzou threw, only to realize that Kanbei's sword was now level with Kanbei's hands. Before Toshiyo could react to that, he was forced to block two swordstrokes, and was pushed away from where Kanbei was, Kyuuzou standing between him and Toshiyo, and Kanbei could see that those movements had cost him dearly.

"Come now, Kyuuzou. You will be no challenge in this state. You're so weak it's almost sad. Looked at you; just holding up your swords is almost more than you can handle."

Kanbei could see this as well, but could also tell that Kyuuzou was slowly regaining strength, since he was squarely in the deepest shadowed part of the cave, out of reach of the light.

'He plans well for some things, but even now Kyuuzou seems just a small step ahead.'

"Maybe." Kyuuzou replied to Toshiyo's taunts, but slipped into a guard stance, eyes cold. "But I will defeat you."

With a cross between a laugh and a yell, Toshiyo charged in again, and Kyuuzou blocked with more force this time, his repose lightning quick, Toshiyo avoiding gettnig his chest cut open only by demonluck. His tattered shirt pooled around his waist and wrists, and with an angry gesture, he threw it off. Kanbei could see a small bruise growing where Kyuuzou's sword had passed. Toshiyo drew a deep breath, and his posture calmed. The next time he attacked, it was with greater fluidity, and more concentrated strength than that of a man craving revenge. This was the warrior that laid beneath Toshiyo's skin, the one who had trained with assassins in his youth, never knowing exactly what they were, but absorbing the skills nonetheless.

Kyuuzou saw Genma in every strike, every technique Toshiyo used. Because of this, Kyuuzou knew how to draw Toshiyo into attacking, knew when to step aside, when to parry, what strikes would do the most damage.

However, he did not remain unmarred, as would have been the case had he been in normal shape. as it was, Toshiyo was impressed with how long Kyuuzou was lasting.

"Why...do you...insist on...protecting him?"

Kyuuzou did not answer. Rather, he could not,for he needed every breath he took. He stumbled into the sunlight, having been able to stick to the shadows mostly, and visibly winced. In that moment of hesitation, Toshiyo lunged in and pinned Kyuuzou to a wall with his sword through Kyuuzou's chest. Kyuuzou coughed, but swung a sword at Toshiyo, forcing him to step back, but his strength was waning fast, noon approaching quickly. Kyuuzou's mind was racing; how to get this out of his chest while not leaving himself vulnerable? The day grew hotter and brighter, and Kyuuzou's attempts to keep Toshiyo away became feeble and less often. Eventually, Kyuuzou was the only dark spot in a sea of light, and even then, he seemed insubstantial.

Through a haze, Kyuuzou saw Toshiyo approach, and his mind and reflexes knew he should be doing something to keep the man away, keep him distracted, keep him away from Kanbei. Yet he found himself paralyzed, drained, a sword inconviently driven through one of the bullet-holes in his chest.

_So you're the one who's captured his heart._

Kyuuzou tensed, the voice echoing in the same place in his head that the demon's had...but this was not malicious, just...mildly exasperated, envious, and female.

Who're you?

Kyuuzou felt a presence next to him quite different from ones he was used to feeling, and looked out of the corner of his eye.

It was a woman, beautiful, yet sad, and the light seemed to want to gather around her, as it tried to flee from Kyuuzou.

_Someone who cares for the same man you do. I tried to take him away from here while that demon-mad man was distracted with summonings, but instead of returning to me, he chose you._ The woman looked at him with grey/green eyes that reflected the gold of the sun, eyes that saw more than Kyuuzou wanted her to, eyes that he was defenseless against. The woman sighed, disgusted and disheartened, and gave Kyuuzou a sullen look.

_I don't approve of your or what you and Kanbei are doing. But...I will help you, since he cares for you, and you, no matter how much you try to say you only want to protect him, care for him too. _The woman almost seemed to glide effortlessly in front of him and placed a hand on Toshiyo's sword. _You lose, and I will make certain that your afterlife is not pleasent. He's already lost the people he cared about once; don't you dare put him through that again. _Her voice became sad. _He might not survive it this time._

With strength given by love and supernatural abilities, she who had been Kanbei's wife pulled the sword out of Kyuuzou's chest, and Kyuuzou dove immediatly into what shadows there were,surprising Toshiyo that he was even able to move. Kyuuzou stood in front of Kanbei who, over the course of the battle, had slowly been able to maneuver his hands so that he was grasping the charm at the hilt of the sword that was more than just decoration. He used Kyuuzou's body as cover to pick the lock on the chains, freeing his hands and arms. He reached out quickly and pulled Kyuuzou to him, holding him close, and he felt a strong tug on his senses, and realized that Kyuuzou had taken fully half of his ki. He wasn't defenseless, but it was still unnerving.

"If you lose this duel, I will never forgive you," Kanbei whispered in Kyuuzou's ear.

Kanbei felt the small smirk, and let Kyuuzou go, just in time for him to block an attack by Toshiyo.

Kyuuzou found that he was still alarmingly weak, but that his contact with Kanbei had renewed him significantly. He was quick on his feet again, even if his swordstrokes were not as forceful as he would have liked.

That doesn't matter. There's more than one way to win this.

Kyuuzou switched from the strategy he had been using, and instead of trying to immediatly kill Toshiyo he made quick, shallow cuts that bled sluggishly, seemingly only a minor annoyance to Toshiyo. While Toshiyo ignored the small biting pains, he did not switch his tactics, keeping Kyuuzou treading the thin line between darkness and light, keeping him as weak as possible, his swordwork impecable and forceful, aiming to maim and leave debilitating wounds on Kyuuzou. The day waned and Kyuuzou's strength became greater, and he watched as Toshiyo tired, even with demon-granted strength and stamina. He was still human, and so the darkness did not strengthen him, but rather limited him, for human nightvision could not compete with a demon's. Toshiyo's strokes became tired, slower, his strength worn down to the quick, while Kyuuzou had conserved what little energy he had managed to draw from the day, not responding to Toshiyo's threats, snears, and questions, and kept his movements light, small, and smooth. Kyuuzou finally hit the nerve he had been straining to get at for a solid hour, and, as the sun dissapeared beneath the horizon, he watched Toshiyo crumple before him, surprise on his face.

"What...have you done to me?"

Kyuuzou merely smiled faintly. "I will not make the same mistake."

With that, he plunged his sword into Toshiyo's heart, andripped it out with a flick of his sword, making sure that Toshiyo was very, very dead.

He found the keys to Kanbei's chains hidden in a corner of the cave, and unlocked him, only to drop the keys and slump against him, his breathing labored.

"I...won."

"Yes, you did," Kanbei whispered softly, and held the shaking demon to his chest, resting his chin on Kyuuzou's hair.

'But at what cost to yourself?'

He slowly felt Kyuuzou's shaking lessen, and the younger man pulled away, his eyes the only feature of him visible in the deepening darkness. He sheathed his swords, and watched as Kanbei did the same for his, before taking Kanbei's head and beginning to lead him out of the cave. Kanbei felt Kyuuzou's grip tighten almost painfully, and barely caught him in time to keep him from hitting the stone floor.

"Kyuuzou!"

Kanbei watched as the marks that branded Kyuuzou as a demon began to glow moreand more brightly until they seemed to be more substantial than Kyuuzou.

"no..." Kanbei heard the man in his arms moan softly.

"What's wrong?"

Kyuuzou turned to face the entrance of the cave and, with the gaping cavity in his chest, Toshiyo stood before them, and slowly, slowly, the human body twisted and contorted into something that made Kanbei shudder and Kyuuzou pale.

They were now going to meet the Demon who had brought Kyuuzou back to life.


	25. A Second Chance

IT stood before the two men, and IT laughed at them.

_Ah, Kyuuzou. So nice to see you again._

Kyuuzou snarled.

_Tsk, tsk. Such a horrible welcome._

You aren't welcome.

_I don't care what you think, Shadowling. You know, it's because of you that I'm even in this realmn._

Kyuuzou looked uncomfortable.

_Kyuuzou, Kyuuzou. So intellegent, and yet so oblivious. I should not explain myself to you, but since I want to see your reaction, I can delay my conquering of this realmn a little while longer._

Kyuuzou stood slowly and walked a few paces away from Kanbei, standing in an easy stance that Kanbei recognized.

Well? Explain.

IT laughed at Kyuuzou's attitude, and a tendril of shadow lazily drifted around Kyuuzou, twining around him in a slow spiral that Kyuuzou dispelled once it reached his chest, adding to IT's amusement.

_You see, there are thousands of realmns sitting nicely alongside this one, but most of them are heavily guarded by various enchantments, creatures, and bindings that only one thing can dispel. However, every now and then, in my occasional meandering through the afterlife, I come across a spirit such as yourself; willfull, violent, skilled,driven. You provide a nice little wedge into the realmn you came from, opening the barriers enough that I can infiltrate using you. Using your body, your skills, your intellegence, your manuverability within this place. And I can usually convince my...servant...that what I do is for the good of the realmn, that the horrors I am making them committ will all pay off for the good in the end. But in the end...it is I who wins. The realmn is thrown into chaos, and it becomes mine. You can't imagine how amazingly satisfying it is to see one's work come to completion._

Kyuuzou's hands were slowly finding their way to the hilts of his swords, even as the shadows around him tried to bind his legs.

_But you, my dear Shadowling Kyuuzou, seem to have somehow figured out my intent. How?_

Kyuuzou's eyes were grim.

You heard my thoughts. I heard yours.

_What?_

Kyuuzou was pleased to have taken IT off guard.

You controlled me then. I fell asleep, and heard you talking.

IT snarled and the shadows rose high above Kyuuzou's head and dove downwards, each shadow becoming a razor sharp blade. Kyuuzou pulled out his swords quickly and deflected them before exerting his own will on the shadows, pushing them to remain inert at his feet.

_And then you escaped me using that...man. Human emotions are so troublesome. But, no matter. You were still useful to me. Oh, what wonderful hatred you evoked in this mislead creature who worked for me, thinking that I would merely allow it to use my powers without cost. Too bad he didn't have the insight you do._

The price?

IT shrugged. _His body and immortal soul. He is now a part of me, and...I know everything about you now, Kyuuzou._

That sounded ominous.

_See, though, now that you know all this, I have to either eliminate you or convert you. Eliminating you would be troublesome; that takes time and energy. Converting you though, takes as much effort. Tell me, Kyuuzou. If I told you that if you served me again, that I would never harm that man over there, would you accept my offer?_

Kyuuzou felt a little lightheaded, and the words seemed to almost make sense for a moment before he pulled himself out of the daze with a snap and snarled.

You lie.

_I'm hurt. Unfortunatly, you are right. What attaches you to this realmn, Kyuuzou? Why would you care if it was destoryed?_

Kyuuzou thought for a long moment.

I have lived here. he lives here. I fought here. I have memories. I would be betraying everything I am if I let you destroy everything.

IT looked(?) at him for a long moment before laughing.

_Very well,then. I have no choice. You die here, Kyuuzou._

With those words, the demon's shape shifted again, and in a moment, Kyuuzou found himself looking at an exact replica of himself, every detail the same. Kyuuzou had a bad feeling, but it didn't matter how he felt about the situation. He had no choice in this matter.

"You die today."

Kanbei watched as both demons charged in and came together with a clash of swords, and was unnerved. For the first time in a long time, he was absolutely helpless against Fate.

---

Kyuuzou lunged in and one sword was caught. He brought the other around, only to have it parried. IT reposed, and Kyuuzou deflected both attacks...barely. The two circled each other, their markings moving sluggishly across their clothes, eyes glowing brightly in the deepening night. Neither of them were tiring; both drew power from the shadows, after all. Kyuuzou was unnerved though, for it seemed that IT knew what he was going to do even before he did. It took half an hour to dawn on him; their styles, their moves were...

"Identical. Yes. I told you 'I know everything about you.'"

Kyuuzou put some distance between them and thought hard, keeping up his guard even as IT tried to distract him, to wear him down and dishearten him. Kyuuzou looked briefly over at Kanbei, and found that the man was fighting off demons himself.

NO! I promised I'd protect him.

He watched Kanbei fight briefly, only to be pulled back to his own duel with IT. Kyuuzou snarled and pushed away, sending both of them back a few yards. He had an idea. He didn't know if it would work, but it was worth a try. Kyuuzou sheathed one of his swords and held the other casually in one hand. He closed his eyes and brought up memories, memories of patterns, of strikes, of parries...

IT attacked, feeling that Kyuuzou was weakening, but was surprised when Kyuuzou blocked IT in a way IT hadn't expected. Kyuuzou disengaged in a strange way as well, but IT recovered, wary. Kyuuzou attacked again, and his movements were odd, not as fluid or quick as IT knew.

Kanbei dispelled the last of the demons meant to kill him, and looked over at Kyuuzou. He watched the fight for a moment, the fighting pattern familiar, but where had he seen it before...?

'That man! The one who I fought, briefly, and that Kyuuzou killed. Hyogo, I think was his name.'

Kanbei was impressed that Kyuuzou was able to fight in a way that was different from his usual style; Kanbei knew he could adapt, but Kyuuzou had some of the most minute details down, from simple flicks of the sword to body langauge.

Eventually, the demon adapted to this new style, and even though he was wounded in a few places, Kyuuzou had been struck as well, cuts bleeding slowly from all over his body. There was another brief pause in the battle as the two circled each other, but as Kanbei watched, Kyuuzou's gait changed, his mannerisms morphed before Kanbei's eyes.This time, he recognized the style even as IT attacked Kyuuzou.

Kyuuzou was using Gorobei's moves.

Kyuuzou ran out of ideas and techniques more quickly than he had before, but he had scored quite a few more hits, and IT was becoming frustrated, though IT's style remained that of Kyuuzou's, as well as having the undeniable flavor of the supernatural. This time the transition came harder, Kyuuzou incurring a wound even as he sought out the rhythm behind the next style he was going to use.

Kanbei saw enough of it to recognize Heihachi in it before he was set upon by another group of demons, these of slightly higher rank.

Kyuuzou was running out of ideas; he didn't want to use Kanbei's tecnhiques yet, lest IT already know those as well. He couldn't use Shichiroji's though, since he had never touched a spear before in his life, nor was their one at hand.

I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought to himself as he brought to mind an image of the big, loud, obnoxious farmer-turned-mechanical samurai. He was pleased, however, to find that IT was surprised by Kyuuzou's transition from obviously skilled styles to one of random, brute force. IT faltered enough for Kyuuzou to score a couple of decent wounds before IT found a way around the attacks.

Not Kanbei's...not yet. Then...?

A large part of Kyuuzou objected to what he was about to do, but when he turned and looked at a weary Kanbei fighting off demons, he decided to push aside his pride to be able to defeat IT. At first, the only image of Katsushiro he could come up with was one of the broken boy he had left behind, but as he fended off IT's attacks using no particular style, images of him going into battle with a manic energy, with a reckless abandon that comes only with youth, he managed to mimic the boy's style.

Kanbei finished the last demon, bleeding heavily from a wound on his arm, a cut across his forehead, and a shallow gash along his thigh, as well as suffering quite a few other minor wounds, and turned to face the other battle taking place.

And found that everything was perfectly still.

Kyuuzou and IT stood some yards apart, each simply looking at the other, both heavily injured, yet all the more determined to prevail. Each slipped into a neutral stance, trying to decide what would do in their opponent. Somehow, though, Kanbei felt that this would only begin the next round of fighitng, rather than ending it. It was only a little past midnight, so both of the demons before him would be at the greatest power.

They moved at the same time.

And Kanbei stared at the aftermath.

'You're kidding me.'

As he watched, a battle not unlike the one he had recently fought with Kyuuzou unfolded before his eyes.

'He's using my techniques!'

IT caught onto this quickly as well, but not before Kyuuzou had heavily wounded it, the damage from all of his attacks and reposes finally taking its toll on the demon's mobility...as well as his own. The two came body-to-body, and IT bore down on Kyuuzou, trying to make him buckle under the weight of a millenia-old Demon's power, and Kyuuzou seemed to be effected by it. He slowly sunk to his knees, holding off IT's swords by a tiny margin.

He then gave the demon a smallsmile, twisted into IT's open arms and shoved his sword back into the demon's torso and ripped up, cutting through bone, muscle,organs, and severed IT's neck, and Kyuuzou's sword rippled with all the ki he had in his body, and both he and Kanbei heard the demon's last scream as Kyuuzou absorbed the power that was gushing out of IT's blood and rebounded it back onto it, sending it far, far into the Nether-World. The swords melted out of the body's dead hands, congealing into shadows that fled from Kyuuzou as soon as they touched the ground, and Kyuuzou pushed Toshiyo off him, looking at the corpse in distaste. He sheathed the other sword, and looked at Kanbei, relief in his eyes.

"Finally..."

Kyuuzou took a step towards Kanbei, and suddenlyfound himself falling, a wound similar to the one that he had created on IT creeping up his body. He felt himself caught by two strong hands and rested his head against the crook of Kanbei's arm. He opened his eyes slowly to see a startled, worried Kanbei watch as his body seemed to pull apart of its own accord.

"I guess...that since he...made me...into what I...am...I am banished...with him."

Kyuuzou found himself falling away, down the same dark passage that he recognized from before, but at a dizzying rate, passing by that which he recognized towards a darkness somehow permeated by peace. He closed his eyes, and blamed the tears in his eyes on the wind that was rushing past him.

---

Kyuuzou had felt that his fall had been halted, but had thought little of it, since the pain and loss was debilitating. He had kept Kanbei safe, but had been unable to stay with him. He found that he could open his eyes and looked up. There was a reflective surface above him, and in it he saw dizzying images, shreds of his past, his present, and dead futures, and his own, confused countenance. He slowly sat up and looked around, hearing talking somewhere in the distance. Lounging a few steps away from him was a vaugely humanoid creature, seemingly created from the essence of Light, its body glowing softly, while it's ice blue eyes turned from looking in a door to focuing on Kyuuzou.

_They're talking about you._

Why? Aren't I dead?

_Well...you've been dead for a while now, just living on borrowed time from Ts'lekriarch. But since you banished the One I just mentioned, they're rethinking what they should do with you._

_Zephikiel thinks that you should merely be sent back to the afterlife. Azariel thinks you should be banished along with the demon. Metrarh feels you should be reborn. Kiriael never makes decisions, he just listens and supports whatever the final decision is. Me, though...ah, I'm apparently too young to be on the council. _The creature finished bitterly.

Kyuuzou looked away, sad that he was unable to keep his promise to the woman that helped him. He heard the creature give an exasperated sigh, and then had his head pulled to look into its eyes, the contact of its hands(?) on his face pleasently warm and tickled slightly.

_They're never going to come to an decision about you, so I'm doing it for them!_

Can you do that?

_If you don't tell them, i won't either._

Kyuuzou's mouth twitched into a small smirk.

_Kyuuzou, by the Powers that I control, I heal your wounds..._

the creature touched the large gash on Kyuuzou's shoulder and the bullet holes, each which filled with a pearly white light

_...cleanse you of your Demon Mark..._

Kyuuzou watched as the pattern that had still been washing over his skin flickered and dissapeared

_...and will return you to life. There are no strings attached, no subjugation of your will. Just two little things so I can bind you to life, _the creature ended almost apologetically. _You are to stay with Shimada Kanbei and protect him for the rest of his life, and when his time comes, you die with him._

Kyuuzou was mildly surprised.

That's it?

The creature nodded and kissed Kyuuzou's forehead. _Now go! _

Kyuuzou felt a sudden jerk and the strange sensation of falling up, and he closed his eyes to just savor the fact that he was returning to Kanbei.

---

Kanbei had watched in horror as a wound akin to the one that Kyuuzou had bestowed upon IT worked its way across Kyuuzou's body, crossing from hip across torso and up towards his shoulder. Just as it seemed as if the wound would split out from Kyuuzou's shoulder, it stopped growing. Puzzled, Kanbei continued to watch it, and was amazed/alarmed as it began to shrink back down, internal organs being slurped back into Kyuuzou's skin. As the wound closed, the bright red marks on Kyuuzou's body began to dull, then became black and began to ooze off Kyuuzou's body, but Kanbei resolutely held onto Kyuuzou, even as the marks slithered across his bare wrists, sending chills up his spine at their strange texture. He saw the wound dissapear completly at Kyuuzou's hip, and watched as the bullet holes that had been on Kyuuzou's chest scabbed over, then healed, leaving only small scars to indicate that they had been there, just as only a small, white line remained to mark how Kyuuzou almost died. Slowly, Kyuuzou's eyes opened, and when he blinked, two small red drops leaked out of the corner of his eyes, and dulled to the same color as the marks before dissapearing.

"Kanbei?"

Kanbei looked down at the now-concious man, and smiled softly. "You're alive."

"I am."

"Still a demon?"

"No. Human."

Kanbei was surprised by this, and shocked by the genuine smile Kyuuzou gave him.

"No strings attached this time. A true second chance."

---END

Author: awwwwwwwww. I'm quite happy with this ending to the story itself. There is a kind of epilouge that will make its way after this chapter, but that won't be until a little later. I'm happy with all who stuck with this story! Many, many, many thanks!


	26. Epilogue

Many, many, many years later...

Kyuuzou slowly stood from his stoop over the small strawberry bush that he and Kanbei had in their small garden, wincing as his back crackled in many different places. Many years had passed since he and Kanbei had, for all intents and purposes, vanished from society. After the battle that had left them both exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally, they had rested for a night and then walked off in a direction away from Haruka, away from Kougakyo, seeking a place where neither of their pasts would catch up with them ever again. They had found one, a small patch of forest within the wilds of the unknown, and had built a small house, and had brought seeds and sprigs of plants that they found and would use for food as they had meandered. The first years were hard, but since both men were used to running on little, they managed to survive, and were rather proud of their efforts.

Old habits died hard, though, and even now, much older and greyer, Kyuuzou still carried one sword at his hip. He kept in as best shape as he could, while Kanbei had kept up with the latest news of the outside world, not wanting to be caught unaware by training messenger birds to go back and forth from Hotaruya to where they lived in the far reaches of nowhere. Kyuuzou saw one of the birds coming, and held out a hand for it to alight on. He took off the small scroll tied to its foot, murmured words of praise, gave it some food, and let it fly into the coop that he and Kanbei had made. Kyuuzou unrolled the piece of paper and read it, then sighed. Kanbei would not like the news.

Kyuuzou resettled the basket he had been collecting strawberries with on his arm and walked to the house, where Kanbei was sitting, watching as the soup he was making simmered.

"One of your birds came."

"News?"

"Shichiroji is dead."

"I see..."

Kanbei looked away and Kyuuzou sat slowly next to him, placing the basket to one side. He watched Kanbei's features for a moment, then smiled sadly.

"Now?"

"Yes. We are relics from an era that no longer exists, no longer wishes to exist. You and I...we lived our lives best we could, didn't we?"

Kyuuzou nodded and put a comforting hand on Kanbei's shoulder.

"How?"

"I'm tired..." Kanbei sighed softly, and kicked the fire so that it flared briefly, then died into small flames, then embers. Both men watched as the fire fell still, then Kyuuzou looked over to Kanbei. Kyuuzou shifted, and stood slowly, his body protesting the movement. He extended one hand, and Kanbei took it, and it was only through their combined strengths that Kanbei managed to teeter onto his feet.

"I hate being old," he muttered as he and Kyuuzou leaned on each other as they walked into their small bedroom. Kyuuzou merely smiled faintly and helped Kanbei to lie down, then sat next to him, pulling the covers over Kanbei's prone form. He reached out and brushed a lock of Kanbei's hair away from his face, and Kanbei smiled at him gently.

"Before you sleep..."

"Yes?"

"I haven't told you something."

"After so long?"

Kyuuzou nodded slowly, and took one of Kanbei's hands, and held it between his.

"I love you."

Kanbei nodded, and understood his reluctance for saying so for all the years they had been together.

"I feel the same way, Kyuuzou."

With that, Kanbei closed his eyes, and Kyuuzou watched over him until he breathed his last. Kyuuzou remained sitting for a long moment, and felt Kanbei's spirit depart. With that, he laid down next to him, still holding his hand and closed his eyes. With a small, content smile on his lips, he breathed his last.

---

Jezebel looked at the two forms before it, and pondered the scene briefly.

_Shichiroji is buried with all the other samurai that defended Kanna Village. I feel it would be a disservice to their memory, don't you?_ she asked, and looked up at Kiriael.

_I suppose you're right, little one. There is no one out here to bury them anyway, so they would end up food for the beasts...and neither deserve that._

_So we'll take 'em to Kanna and bury them there?_

_Yes, yes, patience. It will take no time to get there._

_Don't forget their swords!_

Kiriael was simultaneously amused and exasperated by Jezebel's exuberance, and with a sweeping gesture encompassed the room. Kyuuzou and Kanbei's bodies, as well as their respective swords began to glow a soft light, and then they, and the two minor Powers disappeared, leaving an empty basket of strawberries to rot next to a dead fire.

---

Komachi was going up to pay her respects to the fallen, as she did every week, when she thought she saw something odd about the graves nearby.

'1...2...3...4...5...wait...6...7!'

With a small cry, she ran up the rest of the way, her children in a string behind her, shouting at their mother to slow down. She reached the top of the hill quickly, and looked at the two newest graves, situated alongside Shichiroji's and Katsushiro's(who had recently died, his body unable to cope with the mechanical bits that had been put on him after he had been found by a member of another village that had known who he was and where he was from), and her eyes clouded with tears.

"No-one is left now..."

She quickly gained her composure, sniffled, wiped her eyes, and calmed herself.

"I need to get two more bowls and more rice."

She turned just as her children caught up with her, and they looked at the two graves before them, one with twin katanas crossed at the hilt, and the other with a single sword, solidly built, with a small charm fluttering in the wind.

They turned, unnerved, and went to catch up with their mother.

---

Author: This is one of two of epilogues. This one is -much- shorter, so it's the one getting posted. I felt that I had to wrap things up completely, even though my story ended rather well,pulling the loose ends together...kinda. X( I have too many ideas of how to end the story...well,whatever. I'm glad you all stuck with it, up to even this last ramble. I will now concentrate on getting the titles together. Many hearts!


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